


Only Then

by LittleArtemis707



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:53:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24924181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleArtemis707/pseuds/LittleArtemis707
Summary: Yuiko Hoshino is the Seneschal of Avatar Korra, a job that requires her to be cunning, resourceful, and self sacrificing. And for the past decade, she has done her duty without fail.And then, She is captured by the Equalist Usurper Amon.Now Yuiko must navigate a game she has no idea how to play, and face the reality that she may want more than to serve the avatar.
Relationships: Amon/OC, Bolin/Opal (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 30





	1. When All is Lost...

**Author's Note:**

> “If I am a Monster, it is because man's hatred has made me so.  
> If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me.”

_**Never in her life, had any one made her kneel.** _

She and Lin had been mildly successful in making sure Tenzin and the air tribe escaped. But the cost had been at their own capture.

Yuiko Hoshino was not a famous person by any means, not like Chief Beifong. But she was known, After all being master Kataras Pupil and the Avatars Seneschal did garner some attention.

What no one besides her and Katara knew though, was that Yui was more than a water bending prodigy. That she was far more dangerous than any one else in the white lotus.

It had been for her unorthodox bending that had convinced Katara to keep her as a child.

But evenwithout that facet of herself, she was a formidable bender. A young master as Katara had called it.

The Equalists on the airship had been easy to sense and defeat, Clouds held as much water as lakes did, and her combat skills were fast like the rain they often dropped.

She was chi blocked now of course. The rain damping her skin and clothes.

“ Chief Beifong, I expected to meet you face to face someday. And you.” He had been facing Lin, who was worse for wear. They didn’t know eachother very well, Yui focused on her bending and Korra, Lin not caring as long as she kept the latter bender out of trouble. But she felt bad for the woman.

Now Amon’s full attention was on Yui, his eyes were a ice blue so vivid they could’ve been white.

“ Yuiko Hoshino..I’ve only heard bits and pieces about the protector of the avatar. The strongest waterbender of this generation.” He reached his hand out and lightly tilted her chin up. “ That defiance burning in your eyes almost makes me think you are a fire bender. Had I not witnessed you bending clouds, I would’ve kept my assumptions.”

A drop of rain hit her eyelid, a small drizzle soon started after.

All that water, and she could not bend any of it. It was maddening, and she longed to feel her connection to her element again. “ I expected mediocrity, and yet, you surprised me.”

Amon’s thumb swiped over her closed eye, as if he was trying to clear it of the rain.

He released her shortly after, and then asked Beifong “ Where is the avatar?”

Lin bared her teeth, and straightened her back. Declaring in her last act as a bender that she would not tell him.

Yui Wanted to look away, to steel herself for when Amon probably would come and take her own bending. But she forced her eyes open and focused on Lin. Committing the moment to memory, because someone had to.

She theorized that the theft of someone’s bending stole much more than their element. It took willpower, energy, and ones spiritual connection to bend. Some people were unbalanced in one of those aspects, which led to weaker bending. But she’d been raised to teach and guide the avatar, and she wasn’t sure if anyone outside of wise old teachers knew such things as in depth she did.

When Lin hid the wet stones of the air temple courtyard, she forced herself not to move after her. In doing so she’d break her concentration, and probably start crying.

The other equalist foot soldiers dragged Lin away, leaving her, Amon, and his lieutenant somewhat alone.

The lieutenant was infront of her, watching her with a cold glee that strengthened her resolve.

She could feel Amon behind her, and straightened her back.

The rain she thought, was for her. It was a bit egotistical to imagine the sky crying for you alone, but she found a small comfort in it. That the world would miss her bending.

She felt amons hand on the back of her neck, his skin was warm, a little rain slick, and too human.

“ I made a wager, with my lieutenant.” His voice was close to her ear, and it was in a soft whisper.

“ Oh?” She asked, surprised her voice did not tremble.

“ I bet you would fight me until the very last moment. He bet you would be so broken that you’d simply give up.”

She could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin.

“ How much did you wager?”

“ Twenty five yueons.”

She didn’t know why, but it was funny.

He huffed in a amused sort of way.

Yui did not waste a moment, before she bent her head down, and then as hard as she could snapped it back. A reverse headbutt was not the smartest thing, but it was all she had. Amon grunted in surprise and possibly pain, he had no real grip on her, and she pushed herself away from him.

The lieutenant sprung into action, as she assumed he would. In turn she charged at him and was thankful for the water, because she knocked him off balance. She made sure to step on his nads in the process and took off. Footsteps did not follow herand Yui did not wait to see why. She moved as fast as she was able, minding her balance The stones were harder to move on than she anticipated, but a slip here and there she was not willing to let slow her. She however heard a growl of frustration at how fast she could move, Amon no doubt. She’d probably bought herself a few more seconds if she’d knocked his mask askew.

The island was not large, and she knew if she could get to the water she’d have a better chance of escape.

She went off the stone path and into the more wild areas of the island, gaining a few trivial knicks and scrapes,she didn’t dare look behind her, knowing that anydistractions could cost her her freedom.

The earth wasn’t muddy yet,so when she jumped down into the underbrush, she winced in pain. Another miscalculation but one she could mourn when she was free.

There were three docks on the island, two towards republic city, and one in the back. And she was thankful the Equalists hadn’t had enough time to set up, because the back dock was empty. A small group of dingys was being shaken in the stormy waves but it was a welcome sight.

She wanted to race to it, and set it off. But then she remembered she had no way of bending the water, no way of freeing her hands. She blinked the rain from her eyes and looked up at the horizon line, Republic city wasnot far, but it was a dangerous distance without a boat or bending. Some non benders held a contest for charity to see who could swim the distance from the island to the city, and even though she was a fantastic swimmer, her hands were tied.

She crouched low, hidden behind the rocks that littered the cliff and the shrubs that too inhabited this portion of the island, and considered her options. If she waited for her bending to return, she’d be risking Amon starting to send search parties. If she went for the boats and somehow managed to unravel them from where they were tied, she’d be taking a major risk.

The storm picked up, thunder rumbled as she saw lighting in the distance. And a idea came to her.

Yui looked around slowly, looking for any sign of Amon, she’d probably lost him in the jump, then ran to the docks. She had to be quick, and she used her feet to kick the binding loops of rope to two dingys free. The waves took the boats easily enough, sending them out into the water. And she kept going, moving faster than she ever had. Until there was one, somewhat hidden from view boat left. Then, as stupid as the idea was, she leapt into the water.

The ocean was freezing, it wasn’t as cold as the artic water she grew up with, but it numbed her mind a bit.

It was deeper here than she’d anticipated, but not so deep it was hopeless. She could stand for a moment or two at a time, even if her boat was in the deeper end of the shallows, she still could climb out and get in it. She however could still hide under the dock itself, and wait.

Yui was thankful she’d moved so fast, because footsteps quickly approaching. Voices beyond Amons shouting commands and orders. He’d been smart and gotten a small squadron to help him.

Someone shouted about the boats, leading to a response to then go and get a speeder and follow them.

Someone stepped onto the dock.

She looked up and held her breath, she moved with the steps, hiding behind the docks wooden poles and sinking into the freezing water more.

The footsteps kept going, measured and even. Obviously, the leader of the Equalists wasn’t as stupid as she had hoped.

He kept going, and stopped at the last dingy, he stood there for a long while, as another set of feet joined him.

“ We’ve sent out a search party, she won’t get far in this weather. The prisoners have returned to their cells, and-“ the lieutenants voice was cut off.

“ How many men do we have?”

“ Enough to cover the search and guard the prisoners.”

“ Join them.”

“ But sir you’ll be left without protection.”

“ Is the avatar on this island?”

“ No sir.”

“ Does the metalbender have her bending?”

“ No, Sir.”

“ And the waterbender is missing?”

“...I see what you mean sir. Of course. “

The lieutenant was quick to join the search, leaving in hurried and hard footsteps.

“ Now..One boat left.” Came Amons voice, full of amusement. “ What a interesting woman.”

The waves seemed to riot at that, they picked up ferocity and she was swept in their current. She tried to swim but it got her no where. Instead, the tide pulled her out, and threw her back onto shore. She hit it hard, so much that it left her gasping and the cold water struck her again, leaving her paralyzed from the icy shock. When she could open her eyes again, free of the sting of saltwater, Amon was there. Standing over her.

“A clever distraction.”

He came down, using one knee to support himself. His eyes were hard to find as it was nighttime. A distant strike of lighting illuminating his mask and giving her a idea of where his eyes were. “ If you wanted to be alone, you should’ve hid in the air temple. At least you would’ve been dry.”

Yui tried to roll and found her body felt like lead. She was surprised Amon didn’t try and stop her, and she awkwardly flung herself into the surf. And when she could swim without hitting sand, forced herself to move. To keep swimming forward, and she was amazed when she found a sort of rhythm. But the waves seemed to hate her tonight, and any measure she got of freedom, they pushed her back.

Eventually, her body was too tired to keep up with her mind, and she was too deep in too wild waves to simply float on her back.

He was there again, wading into the icy surf. And he reached down to scoop her out of the water, she hated he was so warm.

“ Thank you, for exhausting yourself for me.”

The comment gave her one last burst of fury, and she thrashed her body hard, the waves hitting Amon and sending them both into the shallow water. He didn’t get very wet as he was strong and standing, she however got another dunk and it cost her any strength.

Again, he lifted her from the water, and grabbed her face. “ You’ll catch hypothermia if you continue to fight me.”

Her teeth were chattering, and her body already was shaking, and again, she hated how damned warm he was. Every rational thought screamed at her to keep fighting him, while irrational ones begged her to get more of that warmth.

He waded back to shore, and kept walking without incident.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The courtyard had been abandoned, and he walked into the air temple without much fanfare. A few Equalist guards had been posted and he informed them to call back the search parties.

Other than that, they were left alone.

He carried her to the nearest room, sitting her on a cushion and finding something to wrap her in before going and lighting a few lamps.

She was pretty sure her brain was frozen because she didn’t think much of it that he was actively helping her.

He stood before her again, and took a long suffering moment to sigh.

“...You’ll need to...” he gestured at the whole of her. “ Remove your wet clothes. Keeping them on will only worsen the cold.”

Which, he was right. She hated it that she knew he was absolutely right. He’d moved her close enough to a wall she could lean against it for support, and Yui was somewhat grateful for it.

She moved to start the process, and her hands barely wanted to work with her, not to mention they were still bound. Even without the bindings, her fingers didn’t want to work with her. 

Wordlessly, Amon came closer and pushed back the blanket. He started by slipping off her shoes, and the outer layer of her skirt. He didn’t say much as he started to remove her clothing for her. And he did his best to avert his gaze when he was down to her underwear. Carefully, he undid her restraints, the skin was raw and watery blood still ran from the deeper marks. He turned her wrists this way and that, inspecting the damage. It wasn’t terrible, but she cursed herself for mourning the loss of his warm fingers when he let go.

“...Can you manage.” Less of a question and almost a plea.

She nodded and he observed her a long moment before he turned around to gather up the cold and soaking fabrics to try and busy himself.

Once she was done, she wrapped herself tightly in the semi-wet blanket, and he found her another, a comforter probably, to exchange.

Then, wordlessly he picked her up and put her on the bed.

They sat in silence for a moment, then he muttered “ If you try to escape again, I’ll let you see how far you’ll manage tied up and in the bay.”

She managed a glare “ Better than you.”

He snorted and left.

Her body was beyond exhausted, and she was sure he would bring guards to watch the room. But for now, all her mind begged her to do was sleep.

Eventually she gave in, counting all the ways she’d try escaping tomorrow as she slipped into a death like sleep.


	2. Hide no longer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “ See why in shadow I hide, look at your face in the mirror, for I am there inside!”

She woke up feeling warmer, the soft crackle of a small fire nearby. Probably one of those fancy portable furnaces the airbenders liked so much. She was also aware of someone else in the room, a guard probably. Her wrists weren’t restrained again, but had soft gauze wrapped around them now. She took in all of this without opening her eyes, and planned to pretend to sleep a little longer. She could also feel there Was something tightly wrapped around her leg from the knee down, not a brace or splint, but she wondered if she’d gotten a gash on her leg that she hadn’t been aware of. 

“ If you’re awake enough to pretend , you’re awake enough to answer a few questions.” 

It surprised her that Amon was still here, and it unnerved her that he’d probably been watching her sleep. 

She turned over so her back was facing where his voice came from, and looked for her bending connection. 

It was weak, and blocked still. But she was thankful it was there at all. 

“...If it makes you more cooperative. I have breakfast.” 

She heard something softly knock together and a fragrant waft of something savory came her way. 

“ I’m partial to eating alone, but I’m afraid if anyone but me is here watching you, you’d escape again.” 

Yui guessed he was trying to be funny, because he’d been holding her and she’d escaped anyway. Twice actually. 

“ I still have my bending.” 

He didn’t answer for a long moment. The soft clink of chopsticks against a bowl suggested because he was eating, anyone else would’ve probably wavered in their certainty with that stretch of silence. And she could admit there was a cold sweat forming on her back. 

Then, through a light mouthful he responded. 

“ Every bender I’ve encountered have fought me until the last moment. Some are equalized with dignity, and some beg. But after it all, they are changed. Some are more broken than others.” 

She sat up and glared at him at that, mindful to keep the blankets close to her chest. “I guess taking away a crucial part of our identity does that doesn’t it?”

He was sitting on the floor, a low and small round table between them. As he’d promised, a small breakfast. Porridge and duck eggs if she wasn’t mistaken. Along with tea in a pot with two cups, one he was using, the other he started to fill with the longingly warm liquid. 

He’d been reading the newspaper.

“ You have a strong will. A strong connection to your bending no doubt, and I am not a wasteful man.” 

He stood and brought the cup to her, offering it out as he studied her expression. 

That rhetoric could make sense, he was a non-bender but it didn’t mean he was ignorant in bending itself. And obviously he was human, so he’d probably deducted something so central to ones identity being taken would disrupt the entire person. All obvious things, all well known. 

She itched to figure out why then, he hadn’t stolen her bending. It would surely send a message to the white lotus, and it would obviously enflame Korra to act. 

“ It’s a green blend. It won’t kill you.” Amon informed her, As if that was why she hadn’t taken it. 

His mask was a bit off center, he’d probably moved it to eat while Yui wasn’t looking at him. 

This was a strange game to her, one that no amount of political intrigue she’d learned as the Seneschal to the avatar had prepared her for. It was like he was playing chess and cards all at the same time, giving her easy moves to make to play into his hand. So far she’d fought it and went the hard way, or maybe he’d planned for that and this was the path he’d meant for her to take. 

Or maybe, he was just concerned about a fellow living thing. 

And maybe, he just was offering her tea. 

Either way, she decided that whatever they were now playing at? It’d helped her keep her bending for this long. And she wondered what losing would look like if Amon was on the receivingend of it. 

She took the tea. To herself, accepting his challenge. 

He went and sat back down. 

“ I never intended to take your bending.” He explained, as if her acceptance of the game earned her this. 

She sipped, and felt ridiculously at ease. The warmth seeping into every ache and sore she had. 

“Because you have a plan for me?” 

He chuckled, it was soft and measured“ Indeed.” 

“ Well I won’t be telling you where Korra is, or where the airbenders have gone.” 

He waved a hand, looking away as he did so. “ Oh I’m no fool, if you won’t tell me that under threat of loosing your bending, your far too strong willed to tell me in any other circumstance.” 

She glared at him, biting the inner corner of her cheek. 

“ Lin Beifong has a indomitable will too.” 

He looked back at her, she couldn’t quite place his eye color, it was probably some form of blue. But it was so light and icy that it could’ve been white. Even though Amon was a monster for what he was doing, his eyes were human. 

That unnerved her more than she was ready to admit. 

“Yes. She does. But she also is unlike you, and won’t take a opportunity when it’s presented to her. “ 

He was right, Lin had a eerie need for Martyrdom in all the time Yui had known her. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was chief of police, or because she was the daughter of a war hero. Either way, It wasn’t Lin’s fault her bending was taken. 

Which made her revaluate the second part of what he said. Her escape had been a stupid ill thought plan, and yet she’d taken it anyway. She wasn’t a coward, but she knew if she lost her bending she would be less useful to her friends, even though they’d accept her help with or without her having such a thing. She also figured the Equalists hadn’t been prepared to deal with a woman who had too much to lose. 

Yuiko felt her stomach twist, Amon had wanted her to try a escape. If she was in his position and one of his more powerful advisories were as smart as he was, she’d want to see what they’d do to escape too. It would give her a measure of their willpower, of how clever they were, and what they’d do given the Opportunity.

It stunned her, that what she thought was her first move, really had been her playing his. 

Clever man, Amon was.

“ Do you know what makes a revolution successful, Dear Seneschal?” He asked, breaking her from her train of thought. 

“...A competent leader?” Yui deadpanned, it was the lightest jab she could think of, and was glad to have some measure of vengeance from it. 

His eyes lifted at the corners, like he’d smiled. 

“ Support. Support from its people, support from the world around it. Internal voices can only carry so much meaning to the outside world.” He reached and uncovered a bowl, how in the world he got his hands on fresh duck eggs on a vegetarian island she’d never know, and the image of him at some bayside market finding eggs to boil almost made her laugh. 

The eggs were perfect in shape, there were four neatly in the bowl, and he plucked one up with his chopsticks to place in his porridge. The yolk was thick and rich, and runny. He lifted it to bite, but stopped and she wondered if he forgot he was wearing a mask. She looked back down at her tea. While she would admit she had a incredible will, food in any of its form weakened it. 

“ But if a outside voice supported a movement? Then others would join. Then the world might listen.” He continued. When she looked back half of the egg was gone, and he motioned at her with his utensils. 

“ That is what I intend to ask you for, and provide you with a opportunity to do.” 

Again, he made sense. While she might not have a reach like the avatar, her opinion did matter to the public somewhat. If she added her voice to the equalist cause, then surely any criticism of it would be weakened. 

“ I won’t be used for propaganda.” 

She came over to sit, keeping the blanket wrapped around her tight. 

She set her tea down and grabbed herself a bowl. 

“ I’m a idealist, dearest Seneschal. Not idiotic.” 

She had a choice here now, to accept his offer, play his game, and steal victory from under his nose. Or deny and lose the game entirely by way of forfeit. 

If Yuiko had one hubris, it was her competitive spirit. 

“ What would you want from me?” 

“ A radio broadcast every week, It would be partially scripted. But most of the words would be your own.” 

“ And what would I be saying?” 

“ We can work out the details of it later, but you will not lie.” His voice dropped from the easier tone he had, to the one that had terrified her over the radio. 

She considered it. He didn’t want her to lie? 

What then, would be his gain? 

“ I’ve seen your work before. You took that disaster of the avatar wrecking down town and spun it as a positive without uttering a single lie. You made the people like her. You made her more than just ‘the avatar’.” 

She pursed her lips and started to eat, forcing herself to stay as mellow as possible while doing so. 

It was simple. And delicious. She wonder if he made it himself, or there was some equalist chef that cooked for him. 

“ You took a figure of myth and awe, and made her so likable I think I actually lost followers. Not to mention, What you said about me.” 

The sensation was like being stung by the surf, because she knew exactly what he meant.

He produced the newspaper from earlier, it had a statement she’d given with Korra during a gala. 

He cleared his throat and read 

“ As Seneschal to the avatar I have this to say to the Equalists, to their leader Amon,’ this reporter was shaking with the amount of conviction our dear Seneschal used!” Amon made a amused snort sound, “weak willed I suppose.” Then he continued “ ‘I believe you want justice for a crime committed by a whole and individual. Your anger at benders and the whole of us is understandable, but it is not sustainable. If you want your voice heard properly and not whispered like you’re some ghost story to frighten children at night? My door is always open.’ The crowd cheered, and the Avatar took the podium next as she was flooded with questions about joining a task force.” 

Amon tilted the paper down to look back at her. 

Of course she had remembered saying it, and she had meant it. She knew that there was inequality in their world, that even though one fire bender had started the flame, that bender probably had never been caught. Never been investigated. The world at large probably had been different, and some benders still felt the 100 years of cruelty were justified. 

“ You invited me to come and talk to you. Shame it isn’t under better circumstances.” He mused, though he sounded much too delighted for that to be the entire truth. 

“ Now, a interesting thing about what you said is that you did not dismiss me entirely. You told the truth. And I won’t admit this in front of anyone, you are...right.” Yuiko blinked in surprise. 

“ This is not sustainable. My cause needs to grow, needs to have a voice beyond my own. It needs you, Seneschal.” 

She frowned and shook her head, eyes focusing on the eggs. “ I’d look like a traitor.” 

“ You could mention that your service to the Equalists turned me to sparing a couple dozen bending children.” 

She looked back at him, fear making her heart stop. 

Is that what they were playing for now? 

He was reading through the paper again, as if he hadn’t just mentioned the possibility he had children as prisoners. 

“ You...You have children?” 

“ Of course. “ he looked back at her, surprised at her expression. 

For once in her life she spoke without thinking “ I’ll do it. But you won’t hurt a single child. If they aren’t adults, they aren’t your enemies.” 

He set the paper down again, and leant forward. Eyes roving over her face. 

“...And what of their mothers, and their fathers?” 

“ I can’t expect you to spare every bender. But people will be more outraged if you hurt their children. If you spare them, they’ll find you merciful. “

His eyes were alight with interest, and he lifted his cup at her. 

“ Then we have a deal, Seneschal.” 

——

A day after that deal, she was given back her actual room in the air temple. Or at least, the things that had been in her room. As Korras glorified baby sitter, she followed her wherever she went. But the leader of the Equalists had probably seen that if she stayed further from the ground, she was less likely to escape. Further from the water and from her biggest ally. 

She wasn’t chi blocked anymore, Though the lieutenant had threatened her with it the few times she saw him. He obviously didn’t like her around. 

The floor she was relocated to was the fourth highest, and she had the room at the end of the hall, regularly there was someone stationed where the lift doors were, so she couldn’t escape that way. 

But she tried to keep herself occupied in her room. Thinking over the games she was playing, and what her options were. 

Three days after her arrival, she was brought to a room with a radio set up. Two Equalist guards stood in the room waiting for her, and she sat at the modest desk set up. 

A script was waiting for her, or what should’ve been a script. It was worriedly short and she read it three times to make sure she understood it. 

-Introduce yourself. 

-Explain the spare order 

-Do not lie. Do not give away your location. 

She watched as the others in the room started up the equipment, and signaled for her to start. 

“ Good evening Republic city. Many of you may not know who I am, and for those of you who do, I encourage you to listen til the end of this broadcast. “ 

She paused for a second before continuing, thinking about what she needed to say. 

“ My name is Yuiko and I am the Seneschal to the avatar. I’ve been taken by the Equalists and I speak now from where they are keeping me. I’ve always been somewhat of a devils advocate, and wanted to see both sides of a situation before I can make a decision on what I support. And I will not tolerate the oppression of one group to lift another.” She looked back down at the paper, wishing she had more to go off. “ But I understand the rage the Equalists and all non benders must feel. After all, we benders now have a taste of what they experience don’t we? Someone with a ablilty we cannot fight now walks among us,and contrary to belief, he is not some boogeyman waiting in the shadows for you. My speaking to you does not come for free however, but you’ll be delighted to know that your children will be spared from now on. Amon has agreed that in exchange for me voicing my opinion on his cause, that he will instruct his Equalists to leave your sons and daughters and children alone. That he will deal with every family the way his own should’ve been dealt with. With care, and with mercy.” 

The words came easier now, rolling together like the tide and she let it take her as far as she dared. 

“ I know, that this is a bleak time. Many of you are angry, and rightfully so. But as much as I want to say you shouldn’t be, I know that you need to be. But most of you too, are afraid. Your fear is not a weakness anymore than anger is a strength. But do not let either blind you, every action has a price, and I don’t want a single one of you to pay it. Live to fight another day, and love as fiercely as you can. I thank you, and I keep you, dearest listener, in my thoughts.” 

The cut for the broadcast came close after. And she stood slowly, hoping her words made more sense than they felt to say. She also hoped she came off more genuine than she felt. 

But, she’d done her job. Anyone who argued against her broadcast would essentially open up opinions that they themselves did not care she saved bending children, they cared more about the side she was ‘taking’. 

One of her guards spoke up “ Our leader wishes for you to return to your room and await further notice. Dinner will be brought to you.”   


Yuiko nodded, and was led away. Wondering exactly what she’d just done and how Korra would react to the news.


	3. In All Your Fantasies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuiko and Amon Face off, and reveal dangerous secrets. M rating kicks in here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What raging FIRE shall flood the soul!  
> What rich desire unlocks it's door?  
> What sweet seduction lies before us?

It had been terrifying being brought to one of his flasher rally’s. They hadn’t spoken in the two days following their agreement, and she hadn’t been brought to make a broadcast since. 

She was placed in a box high above the stage of what used to be the bending arena. The instructions he’d sent her had been simple. 

_ ‘Watch and listen. _

_ -A.’ _

The box had plenty of room for more to join her, but only two guards outside the door were her company. She’d been instructed to wear something nice too. And she felt it was far too pleasant to wear such a thing. 

She wasn’t provided any sort of in-house service, which she of course didn’t care for either way. But it told her that the Equalists working the arena were just guards and enforcers. They either didn’t know the arena well enough to think to serve people, or thought it was below them. 

Amons voice came over the speakers and the crowd quieted to hear him. 

“ My fellow non bending brothers and sisters, thank you for joining me today.” He appeared on the stage, rising like a ghost from a grave. The crowd cheered and he allowed it to continue on for a moment before he held up a hand. 

He started into a speech about the terrors inflicted by benders on him, on the world at large. About how he was the solution to this terrible plague. That the spirits had given him the ability to take away the gifts of the elements that had been squandered on wars and the like. 

“ Today we bring you four benders who have decided that instead of living to bend another day, they attempted to attack a supply truck heading to the impoverished nonbender community.” The stage curtains behind him opened, and revealed four forms. Three men, their faces an array of terror and anger. Then the last face made her grow cold. 

He couldn’t have been more than thirteen. But his eyes burned like he’d seen too much in that time. 

The crowd booed the benders, and the other equalists among the stage took to the wings. “ As always, I will give them a chance to keep their bending, should I be bested.” 

Yuiko felt her mind race, and she stood to grip the railing. Willing amon to turn and look up at her, so he could see her expression and maybe spare the poor boy. 

But he didn’t, he simply handed off the mic and the first bender was unbound. 

He’d been an earth bender, and he went down easy. She held onto the smallest slip of hope that he’d deem the boy innocent and excuse him. Just to look better to the crowd or something. 

The second was a fire bender, and he fought hard. But in the end he too lost. 

Her fingertips grew colder as her worry kept on. 

The last man was too an earth bender, but he was much faster and she found her stomach in knots at the speed he had. 

Amon still won. But it was close. 

The boy was last, and he looked terrified. He was a child, probably desperate for cash or supplies. Yet Amon was purposely making him an example. 

She felt sick when the Equalist turned to look at the child. And she looked around her, looking for a way down without the guards knowing. Luckily, all eyes seemed to be on the last man, who was still trying to fight Amon even though he lost. 

It bought her time and she lept from balcony box to balcony box until she came to the one nearest the stage. No one had noticed her yet, and she was thankful the space had been used for storage. Because it had a pallet of water bottles and she cracked them open. Sending her first bolt of water at the stage with full force. 

The crowd gasped and Amon turned quickly. His eyes wide at the sight of her, and she glared back. 

She shouted down to him 

“ I’ll fight in his stead, it’s hardly equal to expect a child to match your skill level!” 

The crowd turned to soft murmurs, and Amons expression was furious.she didn’t know what pawns she’d lose in making this leap, but she wasn’t about to let him take a child’s bending. 

He turned his head and said something low to a guard, and then took a few steps back. The boy was escorted back and restrained again. 

Amon opened his arms, an invitation. 

Yuiko used her bending to break the rest of the bottles and used them to build a bridge of ice to the stage, having to leap a bit to make it. 

She supposed the Equalists forgot to empty the water from the stage, because when he launched at her she had enough water to work with. 

They moved in tandem, fighting in such a way it almost looked like dancing. But she was focused on not letting him touch her. One touch, a single finger on her and he’d be able to win. 

She watched his footwork, he moved like a skater, heavy on his toes and barely letting his heels touch the ground, they made a loop around each other, and she took the risk of diverting some of her water to the stage and freezing it. 

He actually slipped and growled at her for it, even still, he looked impressed. 

Katara had said once that she didn’t move like her bending was an extension of herself, that she moved like she was an extension of water. She knew that right now he was analyzing too, watching for an opening. So, on purpose, she exposed her right side, and he took the bait. She used the ice slick on the stage to snap up and grab his wrist, yanking him so he was off balance. 

It wasn’t thick ice, so she only had less than a second before he realized that too, and she came at him like lighting from the sky. His eyes surprised she’d gotten him, and accepting that he might’ve just lost in front of an arena full of his followers. 

Then a pain like she’d never known bloomed across her back, and she cried out as her entire body lit up and locked down. 

She hit the stage knees first. 

—-

When she woke, she was in a satomobile. Her hands thankfully weren’t bound and she was being watched. Which seemed to be the newest way to wake up to her. 

Amon was reclined back in his seat, one elbow resting on the door, and he supported the side of his head with his forefinger.

“ You broke the rules.” He said evenly. 

Yui winced as she tried to move. 

“ as did you.” 

He shot forward and grabbed her chin. “ I did not make a **_spectacle_** of myself in front of the entire equalist cause.” 

She jerked her face out of his grasp. “ He was a _child_.” 

“ He needed to be an example.” 

“ He was a child.” She repeated, harsher and he grabbed her again. 

“ Now what am I to do? Take your bending and spare the boy? Take both of your bending and let you be martyrs? Some punishment has to happen, or you’ve just started an uprising. You’ve gotten us both into hot water, Seneschal.” 

She considered this, and ran through her options. He wanted to appear human to his followers, and a monster to those who opposed him. Which is why he even tried that bullshit earlier. 

Still just because she understood it, **_did not_** mean she would allow it. 

“ Figure it out yourself. We made a deal, and since you broke it I’m afraid I’m no longer obligated to follow it.” 

He snarled at that but made no move to vent his frustration. 

She was suddenly in awe of herself. By acting rashly, and by disobeying him she would’ve probably lost her bending, but then he would’ve lost her support. And now since she was protective of someone else, he dared not move against her or risk her fury and lose her that way. 

She’d essentially been dealt an excellent hand.

“But, if you still would like to listen to my advice, put the boy somewhere no one knows him. Then instruct him never to bend again, or risk having it taken or something. It might help if you made him comfortable, so he has more to lose. As for me, well. I’m not prone to giving out things that torment me.” 

He was looking out the window, and then let out a low and rich laugh. 

“ You...You are too smart. But answer this, what is stopping me from giving you the harshest punishment I can manage?” 

She mulled over it, and found the answer was simple. 

“...You hate seeing people in pain. It’s why you go behind people when taking their bending, and why you came to get me in the surf.” 

He was stiff at that. 

She’d also caught his expression when she was being electrocuted, his eyes alight with pure cold anguish. 

They fell into a silence, both probably preparing for what the other would say. 

“...I know how I’ll punish you.” He said slowly after a moment. And she tensed. “ Since you decided to disobey me, and you don’t seem to like it when you’re given an order anyway.” 

Which, she wanted to say ‘no shit’ to, but decided to listen anyway. 

“ I will give you a command, and you must always follow it. “ he’d stood some, looming over her in the cab. 

“ And know that everytime you obey, you admit defeat to me. No matter what you think, it will not be a victory for you. This game Seneschal, I will always win.”

She felt cold sweat prick her neck and she looked up at him. But she did not avert her gaze. 

“...What is the command.” 

“ A phrase. It will start with ‘Tell me how’ or ‘Show me how’ and a direction after it. You’ll know when you’re free of it when I say ‘thank you’ or directly say it’s done to my satisfaction.” 

That didn’t seem too bad. And she tilted her head. 

“ And what will happen if I disobey?” 

“I know where the boy is, and if you follow my order tonight, then you will earn mercy for him.” 

He had a few more pieces on the board than she did still, but she wasn’t one to fold with even one or two chips left. 

“ So. Seneschal. Show me how you _beg for my forgiveness_.” 

Fury came to her, and she was about to say something but he caught her chin again. 

“Ah Ah. Remember what we are playing for.” 

She grappled with the choice, and though she was tempted to let her rage speak for her, she closed her eyes in preparation. 

He returned to his seat, waiting. 

The words pricked her mouth as she spoke, and she tried to be as sincere as possible. “ I am...Sorry. For disobeying you tonight-“ “ I think I would like to hear you call me Master Amon.” 

She bared her teeth at him. 

“ I am sorry, for disobeying you, master Amon. “ 

His eyes were smug and slanted and he gestured at the floorboard. “ **Kneel**.” 

Despite the pain in her back, she did as he asked. This play he was making was purely to punish her, to knock humility into a proud creature and hope they, she, wouldn't repeat her 'mistake' again. But as much as she knew that, she still had to kneel far too close to his knees to keep her face from starting to burn.

“ I am sorry for disobeying you, Master Amon.” 

“ Are you? A good and loyal servant would be groveling. _Begging_ to kiss my hand and offering anything for recompense. Are you a good and loyal servant? Seneschal?” The tone he used was far too heated for her to be comfortable with. And she bit out the words. 

“ I am a good and loyal servant, Master Amon.” Her face enflamed at the indignation, and he chuckled, pulling her up some by gently tugging a braid forward. 

“ Now my lovely servant, would you rather I made you kiss my boots, or kiss my mouth?” 

She broke character “ that is REDICU-“ he held up a finger to silence her. 

“ Mouth I think. And you better make it good.” 

He lifted his mask, in the dark cabin she couldn’t see much but the raised ridges of his scar. 

She also hated that he was breathtakingly handsome from what she could see, his jaw was strong and it matched the rest of his face, had he not been burned, he probably would’ve used his looks to rule the world.

And he was making an expression that was smug as all hell. 

“I think too, I’ll start calling you my Pet when we’re doing this. Fitting don’t you think?” 

She bit the inside of her cheek and lifted herself up. This was all to stroke his ego, to help soothe the blow she'd dealt him by nearly winning. He was showing her that he had a leash on her, and wasn't afraid to yoke her. 

“ Go ahead, Your master gives you permission.” 

She poured all the heat and rage she could into the kiss. He pulled her closer to steady her and she had to use his thighs to hold herself in place as the car rocked a bit. 

She moved her hands in a long slow path up his thighs to his hips, and he hummed as they kissed, and she couldn't put her mind elsewhere.Not when he kissed her back so earnestly. 

She pulled away to breathe and he was a bit breathless himself. 

“... _Again_.” his tone was nothing short but heated, and it was a command, not a request.

She begrudgingly obliged. And this time he pulled her all the way up and into his lap. He ran his hands down her back and she cried out. The pain from the bolt to the back flurried to life, every muscle in her body tensed and she clung onto his shoulders. 

“ My poor seneschal..” he crooned at her. 

“ Stop.” She was panting, the pain startlingly sharp. Her voice was a tense whine, and she’d worried about it sounding like she was begging him later. 

“ Don't tense your muscles, it’ll only make the pain last longer.” She was shaking, and he had his hand over where she was hit. 

“ You're lucky the person who fired that was inexperienced, otherwise it would’ve really done a number on you.” 

Amon made her lean on him, and checked the wound. ‘’It’ll scar, but my medics assured me it shouldn’t be hurting anymore. It’s not bleeding either.” 

She found it harder to sit up than before, the pain had exhausted her. 

“....I am satisfied for now.” He murmured, but made no move to remove her. 

“ Good. I don’t think I’m up for any of your games tonight.” 

He lent back to look at her. 

“ At least tonight I won something very valuable. The obedience of a water bending prodigy is no small thing to win.” 

She pushed herself away from him, and grabbed his collar. Pulling him with her when she sat so he’d fumble forward. She put her heeled foot on his inner thigh. 

“ You have only won my obedience because you’re playing dirty. If you want to play a real game find some other thing to use as your bargaining chip.” Her voice was sharp and stern. She was breathing harder, from pain. At least thats what she told herself.

Amons eyes are alight with something she couldn’t place, and he had to use a hand to support himself so he wouldn’t fall Onto her. 

The car started to slow, and she dared him to take this further.

He leant down, and tenderly took her face in his hand again. 

“ I can’t wait to see what you’ll do in a real game, dearest Seneschal.” 

She tightened her grip, baring her teeth at him again. 

“ I will do more than win in a real game against you, I will break you.” 

He took a long pause and then pulled away, righting himself and a soft knock came to the door. 

“ Sir? The area is cleared, you can exit.” 

Amon went and opened the door, leaving without another word. She’d digest everything that had happened later, for now she wordlessly followed him to the boats back to air temple island. 

—-

  
  


——-

A candlelit dinner was the last thing she was expecting. But there it was anyway. 

Amon’s clothing hadn’t changed, but the fit of his jacket and pants seemed a bit slimmer, neater. 

Tailored was the word she was looking for, but tailored slacks and jacket seemed like an awfully alien word to use in conjunction with Amon. It had been four days since they’d last talked, four days of no word from him. Just reports delivered to her door about the state of affairs in republic city. They were sparse in detail but she figured that was by design. Then a pair of guards came, informed her that she was expected to meet with their leader and that he asked for her to 'dress well'.

His back was to her, and the guards didn’t guide her any further so she simply walked out onto the balcony the dinner was set. The wind was crisp, and she was glad she’d worn something around her shoulders. 

He turned to look at her, his mask was always the same it seemed. 

“ Earlier than I expected. How did your tour go?” 

Hauntingly? Swimmingly? She wasn’t sure how to answer. 

“ I presume you were pleased. If you weren’t I’m sure you’d be launching plates at me.” He seemed to ignore the incident entirely in the car, and had even somewhat rewarded her by sending her to tour one of the camps where he kept the bending children. 

It had been unexpectedly pleasant, for a prison. They’d converted an old section of town houses in the jade dragons district into a place to hold the children of the benders they’d captured. There’d even been parents there, sometimes a non bending father or a pregnant mother, even a elderly bender here and there, but those were very sparse. The children and guardians were provided with clothing and food and plenty of comforts, and the guards there too seemed more easy going. Strict and careful, but easier on the children. 

She’d nearly been swarmed when she entered the first small block, children excited to see her as if she was the avatar and not the boring publicist. She’d felt stupid for not thinking to bring anything, and rotten for being stunned at their admiration. 

The parents too seemed grateful to meet her. In a tense way, but as planned they were thankful she’d gotten their children spared. 

“ I didn’t bargain for everything there.” 

“ you didn’t have to. You accidentally gave me the idea. Why keep children in a dirty dungeon unseen, rather than clean and well fed in the public eye?”

“ The adults?”

He made a pleased sound, like he was expecting that question. 

“ I see no reason to punish a pregnant woman or a non bending spouse if they’ve done nothing wrong. And if they continue to be content, I see no reason to keep them from their children.” 

It was Tactical too she realized. If benders became too furious, Amon had the perfect piece to play right in the open. He could harm their children within view of the world. which, she wasn’t sure he’d actually follow through with. He wasn’t wasteful.

It was also surprisingly...compassionate. And she hated that more than anything. That this man could have an ounce of kindness in him, and that he wasn’t a completely cruel being. 

“ Now. As today has been victorious. I felt something better than Gull-duck eggs and porridge was called for. Not that I think you’re ungrateful for any measure of food.” 

She cursed herself for being so easy to read. 

“ But first, Come enjoy this view.” He moved aside so she could have enough space to be comfortable. Hesitantly, she came over. 

The view obviously was wonderful, they were on the third floor from the top of the temple, the room was supposed to be used for formal dining and air bender showmanship. So they had plenty of space to occupy since they were, of course, alone. 

Republic city glowed an array of blues and golds, and she tried not to grip onto the railing too hard. She had practiced her leaps and running dives before, but heights had always frightened her. She kept her grip as light as she was able as she tried to focus on the bay, reflecting the myriad of colors back to her. 

“ You’re trembling.” Came Amon’s voice, soft and to her right. He was closer than before, and she forced herself not to turn and look at him. His hand hovered on her lower back

“ It’s cold.” She made her voice as steady and strong as it usually was, but found she squeaked a bit at the end. But she knew her stance gave away that it was not the chill alone that made her shake as slightly as she did. 

“ Hm.” His tone was amused and actually playful. And something warm and decently cozy came to encompass her.

He turned her gently, and clipped something at her neck. And it took her a moment to realize that his suit had come with some sort of overshawl, and that he’d just given her the damn thing. 

He said nothing as he looked down at her, not expectantly like most of the time, but as if he was committing her expression to memory. 

She made herself look back at the city, to avoid thinking about the move he’d made. She forced herself to talk, to brush off what he’d done. “ It’s lovely, the city at night.” 

“ It is.” He mused. “ Incredibly beautiful.” 

With a sigh he moved away and back to the table that was set. 

Wordlessly she followed him, thankful to get away from the railing. 

She sat down and was surprised he actually pushed her chair in for her, then went to sit himself. It was a simple set, fine dishes and steamer baskets that were still covered. The table itself was small, portable and kept them very close together. 

The food within the baskets was well worth the terrifying dining area. 

They were fat, perfect Goyza, still hot and dangerously full. 

Yuiko felt her mouth water a bit at the fragrant scent. 

Amons eyes were bright again in what she was slowly starting to get was his way of showing amusement. He placed the lid aside and went to the teapot placed on a warming plate. It had a matching set of tiny cups, and when it poured the contents it was a deep burgundy. The scent was an alluring spicy steam and she felt horribly needy to try it. 

“ Fermented Spiced Cider, I hear it’s popular among the north bay. Have you ever tried it before?” 

She shook her head, trying to tamper down her eagerness. 

“ It's very good, though I’ll warn you it’s not typical cider you’d give to children.”

He poured a second cup, and placed it closer to her. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by her, and he stopped for a moment to look at her. “ It’s not some Waterbending tradition is it? That I eat first?” His voice was smiling and he chuckled when she served herself. There was an uneven amount of dumplings in the basket, but it was the first level so she assumed there were more under. 

From what she remembered that first breakfast, was that he tended to eat whenever she looked away. And since he’d been polite enough to serve her drink, she decided to extend that. 

The first bite she took she made sure to look away and back at Republic city, and had to fight the urge to moan in delight at the flavor. They were not just her favorite kind, they were the only kind she liked to make. Bolin had once called them ‘southern water tribe style’ as they were made with much more seafood than traditional dumplings. She’d made ‘fancy’ ones before for Korra and the fire ferrets after their first big win, where some food coloring made the dough fade from the green seaweed flour to a deep rich blue. Asami had found them adorable and Korra gobbled down her own serving faster than a starving lemur in a fruit orchard. 

These however were the typical kind, greener on one end and lighter sea foam on the opposing. 

And they were delicious beyond belief. 

The memory warmed her heart, and she went back to eating. Keeping her gaze down as she did so. 

Vaguely, she could see Amon was eating with her. Careful measured bites. He had moved his mask some to accommodate eating. Finally working up the nerve, she decided to try the spiced cider. She had to close her eyes to take in the entire thing and found it dangerously good. It burned a little, as it was ‘not for children’, and tasted like apples. It also surprisingly seemed to wash away the after taste of the dumplings, which was a point deduction from her but she could live with it. 

She hadn’t realized she closed her eyes until she heard him chuckle. 

“ If you keep making that sort of expression, you might have the world on its knees for you.” 

She feigned a surprised expression. “ Oh? Was it terribly erotic?” 

He made a choked spittle sound and she couldn’t stop a smile when cider came from the lip of his mask. It was interesting and it had an opening in it. 

If this was a game he was playing, by winning and dining her, she wanted to throw a wild card into the deal. 

Yuiko leant forward, having to raise herself up a little and held his chin much in the same way he held hers. His eyes widened at her, but he didn’t move away. 

She took a napkin and gently wiped the mask lip clean, and sat back down. Getting back to eating and pretending like nothing had ever happened. 

He was watching her like a hawk now, and she kept eating and drinking. Then when she was done, she slowly got up to meander back to the railing. She did feel a lot more bold, maybe a tiny bit buzzed from the cider. 

The height still made her nervous, so at least she wasn’t too far gone. 

She heard Amons fast footsteps and he came over to her side again, one hand hovering behind her back. “ Ah. I think that cider might’ve gotten to you.” She turned to look at him, and smiled again. “ Has it? Maybe thats why I'm enjoying your company so much” she made sure to add a little slur at the end of her words, to really sell it. 

His eyes narrowed, unamused. “ Come sit, I don’t think you should be-“ she cut him off by dancing her fingers over his chest. 

“ Why don’t you come closer? It’s awfully cold.” He took her hand, gentle and still. “ Yuiko.” She stepped closer “ yes?” He kept her hand in his. “ I...” he hesitated, unsure of what he was saying and she came closer. Close enough that she could lift herself up and bump noses with him easily. 

“ Yes?” She asked again, and actually wobbled. His arm shot around her, holding her steady and close to him. She laughed and tilted her head back. Salty air mixed with the cold breeze, and she took a deep breath of it. 

“ I should..Return you to your room.” He murmured after a moment. She bit her lip, smiling through it. 

“ Oh? I’d love the company.” She put a lilting tease into her voice, and saw him swallow hard.

Collectively, this situation told her something dangerously important. 

That his little stunt that night in the car? It wasn’t just a power move. There had been a sincere want underlying his request, and now she wanted to call that bluff.

—-

The walk was easy enough, she just had to pretend it was hard and he ended up carrying her. She made sure to press her face into the crook of his neck, fingers stroking the fabric there. 

His touch however was as conservative as he could manage, and she fought the urge to keep testing that touch. The real fun would start when they were in her room alone. 

Once there. She placed a soft kiss against his neck, and could feel his pulse quicken. He helped right her again, and she took his hand to lead him further into her room. 

Her plan was simple. Seduction. 

He followed her for a half a step and stopped “ Good evening.” He seemed hesitant and she kept her in his. “ Sit with me?” 

Amon studied her face again, then reluctantly sat down with her at the seats she had near the window. 

“ I can’t stay long.” 

Yuiko pouted, and pretended to look like she had an idea. “ What if I make it worth your while?” 

“ You’re drunk.” He deadpanned. 

She shook her head and lent on her palms at him, knowing her ample cleavage would be pushed up at him at this angle. 

“ Don’t you want me to tell you what I have planned?” 

He clenched his fists, then tilted her head up. “ No, I have an idea though.” 

She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed. “Please? I promise you’d like it.” 

He closed his eyes, as if he was gathering his courage and nodded. “ Alright. Show me.” 

She took Both his hands, and cupped them around her breasts, and he made a choked noise. “ I’d let you touch me more, first of all.” 

She used his hands to pull down the edges of her blouse, and his eyes smoldered at her. But she stopped before she exposed too much to him. 

“ Then, you’d get to see me like this all night.” She took one of his hands and moved it lower and closer to the apex of her thighs. And he locked his arms when she pulled it far too close. 

“ You are clearly drunk, you can’t possibly want me to touch you otherwise.” 

She shook her head again “ I'm not, And I want you to do More than just touch me.” 

Amon’s gaze was burning, and he fought with himself. Which was exactly what she wanted.

“ I want to.” His voice was thick, and rough. “ I want to. Spirits how I want to see that clever mouth of yours be at a loss for words. **_I want to have you_**.” 

She moved their hands under her skirt, then used her own to move aside the undergarment, letting him feel the heat and slick that actually had gathered there. She could admit he was handsome as all hell to her, and this play was more erotic than she had anticipated. 

“I promise, I’m sober enough that I won’t hate you for this.” She crooned, feeling just fingers twitch. 

“I’ll only use my hands, if you need this so badly. No games, no bargains. “ 

She grinned. “ I can work with that.” 

A decisive victory.

He gave a deep sigh, and adjusted himself before patting his thigh for her. 

She came and straddled him, and he tensed. 

“I meant the other way.” 

“ Why not this way?” 

She could see the arousal burning his eyes like a bright blue flame and he shot his gaze down. 

“ Because you’re sitting on something very _delicate_.” 

She moved her hips a little and he sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes were blazing, concerned and lust all mingled together In a cold fireball. Yuiko did it again, and found the little noise she made wasn’t just for show. She hadn’t considered it before, but the man was well endowed and getting stiffer by the second. She bit her lip again and kept it up, Amon had grabbed the back of her skirt, bunching it in his fist and his breathing was shaky. They kept at it for another sinful minute, and she found herself wanting to let it go on and on. It had been a while, and she didn’t think she’d mind seeing what he had to offer. 

“ You can tell me to stop~” she moved again and he let out a frustrated noise. “ **_No_**.” His voice was rough, he’d closed his eyes for a second and was back to bunching up her skirt. “ I don’t want you too. But you need to.” 

She stopped and pulled back to look at him. 

“ Why?” She asked, keeping her voice bubbly as she was still pretending she was kind of drunk. 

“ Get off of me. Please.” Amon didn’t look at her when he asked, his hand still gripping her dress like it was a lifeline. 

She made sure to keep her features frustrated and did so. However she did hold her skirt on her hips, and he tried to avert his gaze, but the amount of skin she was showing was purposeful. She wanted him to look, and hopefully the image would stir him enough to slip up again. 

“ Alright, I guess I’ll just have to handle myself without you.” 

“Yuiko.” His voice was stern, touched at the ends with need. And it surprised her just how much she liked her name. Though she was already walking to her bed, 

She turned to look at him and she was almost delighted with the storm he was fighting within himself.

She went to sit on her bed, undoing her hair and acting as if she hadn’t just been grinding on him. 

He was still sitting, watching her and he came over, standing before her. 

“ If you’re so inclined to. We will. But. But not...not until you’re sober.” 

She changed her expression from light and playful, to her more serious and focused face. 

“ And until you can have the upper hand?” 

“ Because you are at a disadvantage, and this is a line **I will not** cross.” 

“ Even if I begged you?” 

He let out a deflated, irritated noise. 

“ As much as it would pain me. I wouldn’t cross it if you stripped naked and crawled on your knees with a pen in your mouth.” 

An interesting line of thought. But she could sense the sincerity. He also probably thought she was so drunk she wouldn’t remember any of this, which is why he was admitting any measure of his imaginings.

She would consider stage acting as a profession after this. 

For one last push, she decided to slowly and invitingly lay back on her bed, and she made a show keeping her skirt raised as she did so. Her other hand moved to pull at the edges of her blouse, lidding her eyes and doing everything Non-verbally to invite him down with her. 

He watched her, his hands in fists at his side, flexing and unflexing with the choice to either match her, or stay true to his word. But she could tell he was enjoying the sight of her, wanting and waiting. 

Then a wave of exhaustion hit her, which surprised her more than anything else. And he sighed, reaching up and pulling her skirt down. “ Clever thing you are. But, I think you’ve worn yourself out. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.” 

She felt terrible, like the blood in her veins had thickened. But tired nonetheless, and she nodded. 

“ Sure...” she fought to keep her mind awake, and he gently pushed her back, so she was laying down. 

“ Until then...Yuiko.” He actually wrapped her in the blankets, and gave one last longing touch to her cheek before leaving. 

Her exhaustion worsened, and she fell asleep holding tight to her feeling of victory. 

Because the leader of the Equalists, was without a doubt, wanting for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oooh yeah baybee some sexual tension! Incase it's not clear and these two got too horny to explain, Yuiko was hit with one of them fancy electro-gloves


	4. Notes!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Far too many notes for my taste, most of them aren't even sexually charged!

Yuiko gasped awake, her lungs screaming for air.

  
She was still in her clothes from last night, and felt like a weight had been lifted off her. She drank down air as hard as she could and looked around. Unsure what startled her awake and why she felt so out of balance.  
Of course she remembered clearly what she did last night. But even the victory she had didn’t ease her mind any.   
A small folded piece of paper waited for her at the foot of the bed. And she reached for it after she got some feeling back into her arms.   
It was in a tight, neat script. And said a frustrating simple sentence. If you could call it that. 

_“ Rally._   
_Dinner will be brought to you._

_-A”_

As if anyone else could be writing letters to her.   
But it told her enough, he wouldn’t be back anytime soon today, and she wasn’t expected to do or go anywhere without him.   
Then she noticed something else.   
Her books, and her stationary had been neatly stacked on the tea table, and she’d been allowed a radio finally. Though this one was fixed, and only allowed the music channel to be played.   
Interesting indeed.   
With nothing better to do, she went and showered, practicing her bending as much as she was able and almost joyous in her movements. Simple exercises, just to relish in the feeling. Her electric strike spot still ached, but she’d been healing it on her own. She was grateful it hadn’t been too bad, and she’d have to ask Amon who his healers were to thank them properly.  
She changed into something more lounge appropriate and sat down at the window. And she found herself blushing at the memory of Amon in her room, which felt foolish and stupid. He was still her enemy, a madman burned by the world, a soulless monster who was seeking retribution for a crime that was as faceless as he appeared to be. He’d forced her onto her knees to prove a point, and made her kiss him to further solidify that he still had much more power over her than she’d like to think.   
And yet. He had compassion.   
He had enough human decency to stop her when he thought she was drunk, and it was frustrating to think about. He’d made sure she’d been tended to when anyone else might’ve just let her suffer. And those were the few things she considered selfless.   
She decided to keep her mind off the maddening beast of a person and focused on sorting her books. And found that there was more than her things here. A small deep green book with faded letters was among them. Not carelessly hidden under or on the very top, but simply among the rest.   
She didn’t recall ever having the book, and opened it.   
Another piece of paper greeted her, its message short and it made her smile. 

_“ If you don’t have a terrible hangover, I think you’d benefit from this. I have no use for it._

_-A”_

After settling her things, she decided to return to her window nook and crack the little thing open.   
It was a short story, an old one. 

It was about a man who’d been cursed for killing a sea dragon that was attacking his village. In ten days time he would fully turn into the ‘mindless beasts ‘ he hated so much. In order to lift the curse and regain his honor, he was told by the village's resident witch he would have to perform four tasks for the dragons family members to appease them.   
For the little son dragon, he created the world's first iceberg, and the little boy dragon gifted him the knowledge of how to put out dragon fire.  
For the middle mischievous twins, he built them a finger trap so they’d always have a game to play together. And they gave him a glistening flute that could soothe an aching heart.   
For the mother dragon, he wove her a shawl to catch fish with, the first fishing net obviously, and she blessed him with her patience .   
And the last task was the hardest. He would need to give the dragon’s eldest anything they requested, be it an impossible task, or a mountain of gold, or possibly his beating heart.  
The man had tried to find the eldest child of the dragons, he’d searched high and low and could not find him. He had returned to the village to find that they believed he’d been eaten by the dragons, and they’d caught the eldest and were preparing to gut the beast. But the dragon, upon seeing the man, demanded they let them battle for the eldests task. That the dragon would bless the village with gold and wealth if they allowed them to clash.  
The cursed man and the sea dragon battled each other then, the man was no bender and the dragon was furious and fast. They battled all day and all night, and even the great spirits came to watch them duel.   
Finally, the Fire the dragon had become too hot, and the man with his knowledge from the little brother dragon, brought it rainwater in a lotus to drink.   
‘You did not strike me down, Human’ the dragon said to the man, the scene was depicted in a gorgeous illustration. The dragon's eldest was an unusual color for a sea dragon. It was powder blue, like spun sugar, and had deep brown eyes. The man was simple and watery, but he wasn’t the focus of the printed artwork.   
_‘I am weak, and you did not strike’_ the dragon continued. And the man answered _‘ I am human, yet you did not burn me.’_   
The dragon then shed its skin, turning out to be the witch at the beginning of the story. For giving her family gifts and making her brothers smile, the eldest dragon awarded the man half of her dragon's skin, which in the drawing looked like a kimono sleeve.   
The man did not take her gift, instead he took her hand and begged her to go as far as she could from his village so that no one would ever trap her again.   
She agreed, only if he would come with her.   
The ending was sweet, the illustrations picked up in detail and she fell hopelessly in love with them. The man and the dragon went and lived together on an island far to the north. He would play the flute and she would dance, her sleeves shimmering and the music so beautiful the spirits forever made a testament to their happiness, on clear and balanced nights, lights would dance in the sky like the Dragon’s sleeves.  
And that they did eventually marry, and had their own little bunch of mischievous and clever dragons.   
The ending illustration was of the man and the dragon woman, both with claws and horns, holding a bundle between them and looking at each other so adoringly she wondered who posed for the artist. 

  
Yuiko was far beyond adoring children's tales, but she loved it. And even though the ending was cliche and over done, she didn’t mind it. What also interested her, was that it was something obviously old and a part of the Equalists leaders collection. Meaning it had some significance to him. Or had, the pages were yellowed at the edges. She wondered why he had this, it wasn’t much more than a children’s story.   
A sad thought occurred to her, what little was known of Amon was the loss of his own childhood at the hands of a bender. She wondered if it was a childhood book that he’d held onto all these years.   
She looked through the pages again, the front ones. To see if it had been dated to anyone or had a handwritten foreword. Then she did the same to the back pages and found something odd. It was tiny and it was close to the spine of the book. But it wasn’t in the same print and she thought it might’ve been Amon’s handwriting, but the script didn’t match his notes at all.   
‘Are dragons real?’   
It was faded, whoever had written it had written it ages ago. And she did what she did every time she finished a good story. She closed the book and pressed the front cover to her heart and sat in silence for a long time. She had her own small library back at the white lotus compound, and when Korra was younger they’d used to read books together if they couldn’t sleep. She had somewhat informally adopted the younger girl as her little sister, and that was something big sisters did right?   
Katara sometimes would catch them up past curfew, and join them in breaking the rules by way of reading them stories. Korra liked to listen and look at pictures, and Yuiko was much better at reading alone anyway. She also used to draw the little bender's favorite scenes and gift them to her for her birthday.   
With nothing else to do, she went back to her stack of books, and searched through them until she found a book of equal size to the story of the dragon and the hunter. This one was of the geisha and the spirit of the woods. She’d fallen in love with the idea of someone like Geisha being so brave to sit at the edge of a dark wood, and entertain the angry spirits there. She would dance all night and sing fun little songs. And everyday would leave the spot with pouches full of gold. Her fellow entertainers were stunned and spied on her, and caught her one night kissing the cheek of a terrible spirit. Eventually her connection to the dark creature saved her village, and she moved into a house just at the edge of the wood once she was done being a geisha, so she could live close to her love.   
She hoped Amon wouldn’t read too into it, and wouldn’t comment on the obviously separately made drawings she’d put into the books ages ago.   
She found a pen and wrote a note. 

  
_“ I was terribly hung over and enjoyed the book anyway._   
  
_Come read with me sometime._

_-Yuiko.”_

  
She waited for the ink to dry before placing it first in the book, and then was startled when there was a knock at the door.   
A foot soldier was there, when she called for them to come in. He held a tray with food on it. “ Dinner, Seneschal.”   
She looked at the window and almost laughed that she’d spend all day reading. Then nodded. “ Yes, thank you.” She came and took the tray.   
“ May I ask a favor? I had a few thoughts for a broadcast and wanted to share them with your leader but, as I haven’t seen him today I’m afraid I’ll lose the thought before I can tell him.”   
The guard, though his face was covered, nodded. “ Of course, I’ll relay the message.”   
She produced the book, thankful the cover didn’t give away anything and it was journal sized. “ Actually if you could deliver this to him? That might be better.”   
“ Oh. Uh. Sure.” The guard gently took the book.   
“ Thank you...?”   
“ Han. Ma’am.”   
“ Han. Thank you.”  
And like that, he was gone. Leaving her alone to eat and think of dragons and geishas.   
———-

This went on for a few more days. Where she had no word from Amon and the guard brought her dinner. If it was Han he didn’t say, but on the fourth night alone, the guard had something interesting for her.   
“ Leader Amon has asked me to give you this, it is a revision for your next broadcast.”   
Which, it was paper folded and wax sealed. She was curious as to why, and thanked the guard before taking her meal to the window like she always did.   
She tried to not be eager about opening the letter. 

_“ Seneschal._   
_I’m currently in Ba sing se giving another rally, the support here has grown I’m told since your first broadcast._   
_I found your notes riveting. And the illustration you provided was inspired. I find myself wondering what lurks in the woods here now. “ Yuiko found herself smiling despite the news that the equalist cause had grown._   
_“ As for your invitations, I will need to find a very large book before I accept._

_You’ll be expected to give another speech tomorrow or the day after._

_Did you enjoy having your books back?_

_-A”_

She was surprised how straight forward he was in his letters, and how easily he’d caught onto what she meant by sending him ‘notes’. Then again, he could match her in any pace and in any word games.   
She started on her own letter, thinking through it as she wanted to make it longer and give him more to mull over.   
She decided that if he was going to use a silly title for her, she’d find something to call him. 

_“ Darkwood Ghost,_

_I immensely enjoyed having my books and stationary back. I’ve been creating a great list of curses to throw at you once you’re back and have the courage to face me again._   
_That is frightening to hear that you’ve reached the great walled city, but it makes sense. I’ve heard the outer ring is the most oppressed group of people there is, benders or not._   
_I also begrudgingly enjoy hearing you liked my illustrations. It’s nice to have the artwork appreciated. Which brings me to ask, What is the artist's name who brought the dragon and the cursed man to life? I want to thank the spirits for their hands._

_I’ll see if I feel up to giving a speech._

_Thank you. For giving me my books back._

_-Yuiko.”_

She paused before she sent the letter off, and Decided, that she would give Amon something he could not easily give her equally with.   
She sat and poured her time into creating a drawing with her inks of the dragon over ba sing se, and in tiny script at the bottom of the card drawing, wrote the question that puzzled her most.  
‘Are dragons real?’   
Then she sent it away, accepting that yes, she was giddy to see what Amon would say back.   
——  
She gave her broadcast easier than she had the first time. Urging benders in ba sing se to be careful, and for non benders to encourage their friends and family take care. That Amon was there not as a conqueror, but as a voice for those who’d been most hurt. 

It wasn’t her best work, but she had no clue what was happening on the ground. In republic city equalist occupation had become more routine, but she couldn’t imagine what chaos was happening in a place like Ba sing se. 

“ As always, Be safe. Live to fight another day, and I have you in my heart, dearest listener.”   
She sat back in the chair as the broadcast cut, and she took a deep breath.   
She wondered if Korra was holding up fine. She wondered how any of her friends were, old and new.   
She even found herself thinking about her old friend General Iroh, they'd often played together at the white lotus compound when the old fire lord visited Katara. She hoped they were alright, Fire lord Zuko was a kind old man. A bit mischievous too, but he always liked that she didn’t see him as the old war hero he was, and saw him as the grandpa of her friend.   
When she was back in her room, she decided to write more letters. Not to Amon, but to her friends. Korra she gave strict instructions not to do anything stupid, and to remember that she was the only avatar in the whole world, and very much so the only little sister she had.   
She wrote to Katara, telling her that she would make sure no harm ever came to her if things got bigger. And that she would always be careful.   
She wrote and wrote until her eyelids grew heavy, and she went to her bed to pull her coverlet with her to the window nook. But she forced herself to write one more note she’d never send.   
She wrote to Amon now, and poured out everything she needed to. About how she hated him for terrorizing her city, her friends. For trying to change things the way he was.

And then she admitted the harder things. That he was right, that benders had been often elevated beyond their non bending brothers and sisters. And that she’s wondered if under different circumstances, they’d still meet. It pained her a bit, but she added this.   
“ _I have never met anyone who matches me so well. It angers me so much, that someone knows this game as well as I have and that my life of studying it to be the best at it is threatened. But I also find that my heart has eased to the idea of being near you. In Fact it flutters whenever I read your words and I don’t know why._  
 _Maybe it’s because I am human, or maybe it’s because you’re some incubus and you’re finally getting to me. But you have. You have me._  
 _-Yuiko.”_  
She took that letter and sealed it. She took the rest and bundled them, hiding them under a cushion and kept the last one in her hand, looking over it and tucking it close to her as she watched the lights of the city dance.   
—-

She found herself in her bed the next morning, and hated that she kept falling asleep and waking in strange places.   
She was tucked into her bed, and she panicked, looking around and finding her letter neatly tucked into bed with her.   
A great thick book awaited at the foot of her bed, with a letter on top and an ornate little box under it.   
She scooted forward on the bed and opened the letter. 

_‘’Sea Whip._   
_I found a few things in Ba sing Se I thought might entertain you so you don’t try to escape again. A Book full of stories, unfortunately they are not illustrated, so I suppose you’ll have to do it yourself. I found the third story riveting, there even is a retelling of the Geisha and the Woods in there I think you’ll enjoy. The second thing I was given with the book. I’ll let you open it and see for yourself._   
_We can talk business at dinner, I will meet you in the garden around sunset._

_Thank you, for keeping me in your thoughts, I was delighted to read you missed me so much you came up with curses. I would’ve awoken you, but you drool when you sleep._

_Do not be late._

_D.G.’’_

Yuiko found everything about the letter opposite of what she should have found it. It was downright tender. Playful. Flirty even.   
He’d brought back gifts for spirits sake! For her! He'd even called her a name that the dragon in the story was more well known by.  
She opened the book, it had one or two illustrations but nothing like the Dragons of the North book. And then she carefully opened the little Ornate box.   
Inside two tiny figurines spun together, playing a melody she didn’t recognize. One was of a man, playing a glass flute, and a woman with her arms out at her sides like a bird in flight, her sleeves long and made of glass. She had a tiny painted smile and it took Yuiko a moment to see that the entire box was decorated with things from the story.   
The melody was so sweet, she found her heart melting watching them spin slowly together. She swallowed hard, because even though Korra and Katara tried, no one had ever given her something like this before. 

She let the melody play, and rewound the music box when it tapered off. It gave her a sense of melancholy, and she savored it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Melody is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2jd3OE9w6U


	5. Floating, falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> M Rating Kicks in hard here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M rating kicks in hard here. The middle scene was suggested by a stream.

  
  


He was tense when she arrived at dinner, and she was sure it wasn’t from her choice of wardrobe.

“ Seneschal.” He said by way of greeting, he was sitting and even in the waning light he was in shadow. It was hard to make out his image entirely. His voice was on edge, and she felt nervous by that. 

She sat across from him, and raised a brow. She had to act with as much normalcy as she could. 

“ Interesting place to eat dinner. I didn’t realize you wanted to be a wolf-bat.” 

He did not laugh, or even make an amused sound. 

Dinner was simple, A creamy soup with fresh bread. 

She wondered why he’d kept providing food to her, other than it being a staple bargaining chip. 

“ Answer me this. What is a militia?” He asked. He reached for some bread and tore it with a little more force than she thought was necessary. 

Which meant he was telling her that a militia had formed somewhere, one that garnered his irritation. 

Probably somewhere in the city, and probably benders. 

“ Something not worthy of focus. They burn themselves out.” 

“A controlled burn I could manage. The damage would be calculated and understandable. But what does a wildfire burn?” 

Fire was a considerably touchy subject for the equalist she knew, though he didn’t let it show, he avoided using anything that was close to the element. It was something that anyone with an overly attentive eye might dismiss as just how he talked. But she wagered that he specifically picked out those sorts of terms from his vernacular on purpose. 

Which meant if he was using it at all, things must’ve been bad. 

“ Anything in its path, obviously.” 

He shook his head. 

“ _Everything_ in its path.” 

Her nervousness started to rise and she tried to think of what bothered him so. He’d probably accounted for retaliation and the like. So why was he angry? 

“And if the Avatar happens to start that fire? Well. I doubt she’s as good as a fire bender as she is a waterbender.” 

She felt her fingertips grow cold. 

‘’Amon-‘’

‘’I am sure that the avatar acts without thought and caution. But i had thought having you here would curb her enthusiasm.’’ he reached for something to drink. She looked away contemplating. 

‘’So, I’m sad to inform you that I will be launching a full scale hunt for the avatar.’’

He didn’t sound sad, infact his tone was neutral and controlled.

She shot from her seat, and he looked back up quickly. 

“ **No**!”

He tilted his head at her. 

Her mind raced through her options and she fought to keep her hand from trembling, she wasn’t sure why her pulse started to race so hard. This was something she could fix, something she could handle. 

“ I can handle her, I can...” Yuiko supposed her fear of him really making an effort to go after Korra again affected her more than she liked to think. 

“ You knew what my endgame always was, Seneschal. What, did you think these past weeks of your little moves and games would change that?” 

She felt her fear replaced with a cold ugly feeling that slimed its way across her, like a banana eel slug in the surf.

He wanted something she realized. He wanted her to say she could take care of this. But why? 

Something else was happening here, and she didn’t know if she wanted to find out if he was being so secretive about it. But, the threat he was making wasn’t one she was willing to sit back and see if he followed through with. 

“...Name what you want me to do. “ 

“ Beg your pardon?” 

She curled her hand on the table into a fist and forced herself not to follow her racing pulse. 

“ Tell me what it is you want me to do so you won’t further your efforts for Korra.” 

A glint came to his eye. Yuiko felt like she just offered a Snow leopard Caribou a fat juicy turtle seal fillet. 

“ Anything?” He asked, his voice curled at the ends with a gleeful terrifying smile. 

“ within reason.” She didn’t look away, and when he got up to cross the short distance to her she kept her shoulders back and spine straight. 

He looked down at her, taking one of her braids into his hand as if he was being affectionate. 

“ I won’t give you the airbenders in exchange, if that’s what you’re thinking.” 

He chuckled a low and satisfied sound. 

“ I’m no fool. What else do you have to offer?” 

She swallowed hard. 

There was the obvious thing, she would be more vocal about her support for the Equalists. She could even pull strings, use her political power to get support for him that way. 

Yuiko was also aware of the attraction they shared. The dangerous kind that only existed between two people that knew the other could be their demise, and loved playing at the edge.

But she doubted that would date him. 

“ Name it.” She replied. 

He tilted her chin up, and then grabbed it, surprising her. 

“ Did you know. That your eyes have a bit of lilac in them?”

She did know that. 

“ Tell me. What do you see in my eyes?” 

He took a step forward and she took one back, tripping into her chair and he grabbed her. Keeping her from falling back but effectively pinning her against him. 

Yuiko held onto his jacket, his breathing was even and she took a moment to compose herself before answering. 

“ Have you ever seen lighting between the clouds?” 

He nodded. 

“ It’s dangerous, and stunning. And I love to watch thunderstorms roll in. I’ve seen the strikes in the ice after it hits too. It destroys everything, it melts the ice and fries anything organic near it.”

He righted her. And she moved away again. 

“ Is that how you see me?” 

She nodded. And he kept still. 

“ Dearest Seneschal, have you ever attended a parlay gala?” 

—-

  
  


Yuiko felt outrageously stupid. 

They were riding again in an ordinary satomobile. Amon was wearing that nice fitted suit again. Hood and mask the same, and the ends of his suit had silver thread running through them in intricate designs. 

Which is what irritated her so much. 

Because she wore a silver choker, that dangled down and over her chest, looking very much like a leash and chain if you asked her. 

She wondered where he got such clothing. 

Her outfit was a night sky black Cheongsam, the collar changed to a keyhole design, with a high slit up the side, and while it fitted well to her middle and shoulders, it seemed more free the lower it went down her body. The fabric was velvet probably, and she knew it was expensive. It had very small hints of blue when it caught in the light, and Amon was watching her intently because of it. Or she thought he was. She tried to not think about why he was watching her, because she was unsure of how she’d feel going down that train of thought. 

She focused on thinking about the challenge she had tonight. 

‘Give me a reason not to hunt down the avatar.’ 

Which meant she’d have to garner the support of whoever was at this gala and convince them that Amon wouldn’t be a threat if they’d listen to him. 

But even that she wasn’t sure of anymore. 

They’d been riding in silence, and finally he broke it. 

“ What is our host like?” 

She was glad she could focus irritation at something. 

“ You're aware of the task force created to fight you yes?”

He nodded. 

“ Well the man who wanted to ‘bring you to justice’ is hosting it so. Take that as you will.” 

He hummed in thought. 

“ What is he like, as a person?” 

She raised a brow. 

“ He is...” 

annoyance. 

“ Ambitious. He plays well enough, but he’d change his tune if it garnered him more favor.” 

“ So you have personal experience with him.” 

That was an understatement. 

As seneschal, she was often brought out into the world beyond the white lotus compound to test her skills and garner favor to the avatar. 

Councilman Tarrlok however, did his best to woo and charm her. And she’d found it irritating at best, and skin crawling at most. 

He more often than not had tried to dance with her at parties, and though she could pretend to enjoy his company, 

He’d often invite her out to dinners and Luncheons, and she’d only ever accepted a few. 

The tone had been too romantic and she tried not to accept any further after he’d made the ‘logical’ conclusion that they should move further, and he should be one of her suitors. 

“ Too much personal experience.” 

Something about that comment made Amon’s eyes flash. 

“ _Show me how you look sitting in my lap_.” 

She blinked in surprise, she hadn’t done anything particularly slighting at him. But she took a steadying little breath, and came to sit in his lap. She crossed her arms and he put a hand over her eyes. 

“ What are-“ 

“ Sssh. Keep your eyes closed.” 

His hand stroked over her hip, and she felt his mouth against her neck. Yuiko’s breathing hitched and she grabbed his wrist. 

“ A-Amon” 

“ Ah. Proper titles, Pet.” 

She felt his hand slowly slide down the slit of her dress and her outer thigh. His grip urging her to open her legs. 

“ Master, Amon..” 

“ Yes?” He kissed over her pulse, and kept her head back. When she opened her legs more she had to grab onto the seat on either side of him while he kept her back leaning against him. 

“ What, what are you doing?” 

“ Relieving the tension of my favorite plaything. You looked so tense.” 

She bit her lip and his hand over her eyes lifted a bit. 

“ Watch. And don’t look at me.” 

Though it was a command, it didn’t seem nearly as forceful as it probably could be. 

He carefully moved aside the fabric between her legs, with a little moving he was able to dip his hand below her panties, and she found his touch over her clit far too good to be normal. He made slow, lazy circles. And she could feel him leaning over her shoulder to watch too. 

“Take them **off**.” He ordered into the shell of her ear. 

She didn’t know how, but she wiggled her underpants off while he kept his hand in place. 

“ Keep going.” 

Yuiko flushed, and removed her underwear too, leaving her bare to the dark cabin and her face burned at the realization that if they stopped for any reason right now, she’d probably die of embarrassment. 

“ Had I known you’d look so pretty only half nude I would’ve done this sooner.” His voice was amused and she clenched her fists, but feeling her tense again he simply flicked quickly and she gasped. 

“ Ah. You’ll need to be more quiet. Don’t want the guards to know now do you?” 

Her voice was breathless and she said “ Why don’t you just gag me?” 

Amon kissed her neck again. 

“ My my...the way your mind works. Perhaps next time.” 

He started to move his hand again, and everytime she snapped her legs closed he would stop. Coaxing her to open them again and would start a brutal pace. 

His fingers in her almost pushed her to break her silence, and he covered her mouth with his hand. When he worked two fingers into her, Yuiko was too far gone to care exactly what she was doing. She rocked her hips down to meet the dart of his talented fingers, and she was surprised to find his pace was a little audible.

She also felt that the entire display was getting him very, very excited. 

She pushed at the hand over her mouth. 

“ Stop. Stop.” 

He did. 

“ Hm?” 

Though she hated it normally, right now her mind was so frazzled with heat that she didn’t care. 

“ Master Amon, you're hard..and we can’t have you...” she was panting a little, and gulped down some air. 

“ At an important event all riled up.” 

He paused and asked against her neck 

“ What do you do?” 

What she wanted badly to say was for him to get himself out and let her ride him hard. 

But that would be messy, and would certainly alert the guards riding around the car that they were fooling around. 

She reached between them and after pushing aside the fabric of her skirt she urged him out of his pants. 

The sight of him erect between her legs made her bite her lip. 

They moved around a little, and she started to stroke him. His breathing became harder and she found her eyes covered again as he pulled her back some and connected their mouths. It was a hard and surprisingly dominant kiss. Yuiko kept her hand moving, and he found her clit again. 

She could say Amon was as brilliant of a strategist as he was a lover, and here in this game? His weapon of choice was his devilishly good hands. 

And though she didn’t want to brag, but with as many times as he had to press his mouth against her shoulder, she guessed she’d equally matched him. 

“On your front.” He ordered, his voice rough with that need she remembered from the first time they’d fought like this. 

Yuiko was glad the seats were close together because she could lean forward and lay the excess fabric of her dress down on her front so it wouldn’t get any mess. 

He had to push the other half over her back, and lent over her a bit, and his hand stroked over her bare ass. 

She found her voice was high, and needy. 

“ The guards.” 

His rough snark answered back. “ I had a different idea. Spread your legs wider.” 

She felt the tip of him prod between her folds, and clutched the seat for dear life when he replaced his fingers from earlier with the head of his cock. 

“ W-Wait.” 

“ Ssh, I’m not going all the way pet, I need you walking for tonight.” 

“ Oh.” 

She didn’t realize what he meant then, and she was quickly forgetting her hold up when he went back to circling her clit. Faster and faster, so much she had no thoughts in her head besides the repeated silent plea that he keep going. 

“ Don’t stop!” She begged in a whisper. 

She managed to bite back her cry when she came, and when his fingers didn’t stop all through the wave of pent up pleasure and tension she bit her lip hard to not moan. 

When he came inside her, she fought the urge harder. 

She found her knees weak, and reached back to grab him when he started to pull away. 

“ D-Don’t.” 

Because she was sure he was about the only thing keeping her from sinking to the floor of the cab. 

He was hunched over her, panting and turned her head to kiss her. 

She caught a glimpse of his face, even in the dark his eyes were bright with lust and afterglow. And his kisses were tender, soft and Apologetic. 

Finally, when she released him he let go. And tipped her hips forward more. 

“ Don’t make a mess.” He purred against her mouth. 

That was one way, to get rid of the evidence. 

Birth control was not a ridiculous concept among the public, and she had a terrific education. She knew the right mix of teas and over the counter supplements to prevent any unfortunate mishaps. But it would be nerve wracking waiting for her next blood anyway. 

He must’ve been aware of it too, he was well educated as she was. 

Amon reclothed her, and pulled her back into the seat with him. Still kissing over her face and trying to straighten them both out.

They rested tangled together in silence for a moment. 

“ Satisfied?” Yuiko asked playfully. 

“ Not nearly. I’ll have to visit you in your room after this.” His tone too, was jovial. 

She pulled back to look at him, and adjusted his mask. “I’ll leave my door unlocked then.” 

They stayed like that for the rest of the trip to city hall, and she was thankful for the long and winding ride. Not only did it help them blend in with the other street vehicles, but it gave them a better idea of what they were going to walk into. 

Once the car started to slow, they untangled themselves. And she was glad her legs didn’t fail her.

Once they were cleared to exit, a small walk away from the actual destination and they’d infiltrate the party and meet at the desired spot picked out by some spies sent earlier, they’d group up again. 

Yui breathed in the cool night air, and Amon too seemed to breathe in. 

“ Remember where we are to meet. Don’t be late.” He said, as he faded into the shadows of an ally. 

“ Of course. “ she replied to the darkness. 

—-

The walk was short and the infiltration easy. There were people here at the gala who were not part of the parlay team, common folk. 

Human shields, too if things went wrong for Tarrlok she supposed. 

She found it much similar to any gala she’d visited before. Just more security, more nervous smiles and tense titters. 

She found a glass of champagne from a server who was so busy looking for her or Amon that he didn’t realize she was even there. 

The drink was refreshing and bubbly. 

“ Ah Pardon me Miss.” Said a familiar voice from behind her. 

Yuiko whipped around and found herself staring at the chest of a well pressed suit. 

General Iroh was handsome and tall, and when they were younger, she’d found him damn near irresistible. 

As grandson to the greatest fire lord the world had ever seen, and Son to the most reserved said office of authority, She and Iroh had spent most of their younger days when he visited with his grandfather playing in the snow together. He’d thought her training to be Seneschal had been the coolest job in the world, and they’d shared stories and stole snacks from the kitchens together. 

But when Korra had been brought to the compound their little games changed, and his visits were infrequent. 

Unlike Her and Amon, Who were at least thirteen or so years apart in age, she and Iroh were a smaller nine or ten, and she remembered back when he was just ‘prince’ Iroh. 

And it worried her that he was here at all. As a general he didn’t make shore leave a commonality, and she wondered if he was here on princely duties instead, which also was worrisome. 

He blinked down at her in surprise. Recognizing her finally. 

“ Yuiko? I mean, Seneschal Hoshino..! I was..” 

she made her eyes wide and glanced to the side, where the shelter of a pragola would offer them a place to speak. 

He nodded and followed after her. 

“ Iroh listen, I don’t have long to explain but I need you to do me a favor.” 

He nodded, out of most of the people she networked with, Iroh was among the more open minded, while he valued tradition and honor, he also could see when either of those things compromised his strong moral compass. 

“ Of course, anything.” 

Yuiko made sure to speak as carefully as she could. While she was sure he was no stranger to the larger games played, she didn’t want to waste time confusing him on what exactly she meant. 

“ Is Korra here?” 

He shook his head. 

“ We explained to her that this parlay would be hit or miss, and that if she showed herself it might tip the scales in the wrong direction. In Fact, she was surprisingly agreeable.”

Which told her many things. 

One, Tarrlok wasn’t willing to use Korra as a bargaining chip. Meaning he had something else to play. 

Two, Korra was still safe and Amon wasn’t playing as if he didn’t have her to Yuiko. 

Three, someone had probably been sent in Korra's stead at these negotiations, and she ran through her list. 

Mako was terrible at the game, he fought well enough in the Arena, but he was hopelessly depthless. 

Bolin was sweet and had some brains to his brawn, but hardly was a good fit for this. 

Asami then, she was the smartest to put on the board. She’d negotiated and dealt before. 

That she could work with. 

“ Yuiko, I need to ask..Are you Ok?” Iroh's voice broke through her planning. 

“ Oh, I’m fine.” Which, she was fine. She currently held a great deal of cards, not a full house but a possible hand that could keep her playing. 

Before Iroh could pry further she asked “ Who’s all here?” 

“ Representatives from each nation. Princess Desna for the North, sir Varrick for the south, Prince Wu from the Earth kingdom, Asami is representing the avatar in your stead, Tenzin from the air nomads, and Me for the Fire-“ 

Yuiko sucked in a breath. 

“ Tenzin is here?!” She whispered, frantic. 

He nodded, his mouth in a grim line. 

“ He stated that since this is a worldwide insurgence, that he needed to be here to have the air nomads say in things.” 

A image flashed through her mind, of Lin beifong's jaw clenching. 

She forced herself to calm and ignore that memory. 

“ What about republic city? Who represents it?” 

“ Tarrlok. As he’s the one council member who isn’t representing a nation.” 

Of course. Meaning he could act without having to wait on the authority of others. 

“ Thank you, that helped me greatly Iroh.” 

She turned to leave and he reached out to gently take her wrist. 

“ Yuiko wait.” 

She did. His expression had turned more serious and he asked “ Will this work? Or are we walking into a trap?” 

She blinked in surprise. All things considering she should’ve expected this question, but found herself at a loss. 

“ Amon is not wasteful.” She replied. Which meant a number of things, but it set his shoulders more at ease. 

She walked out from under their shared flimsy privacy, and back into the calm before the storm.


	6. Grinning Yellows, Spinning reds!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Take your fill. Let the spectacle astound you!

“My my, I forgotten how stunning the Sensechal of the avatar is among the masses.” Amons voice came from beside her as she stopped at the fountain. 

Yuiko rolled her eyes at that. 

“I can't believe they let in someone so overdressed.” She replied, sipping her champagne and wishing it was stronger. 

“ Ah, you’ve taken notice of it?” His voice was sickening in its amusement, right now in this small pocket of time, they were alone even here at the party. No one had noticed them yet, and they were just two normal people for a moment. 

“...Did you forget the ride over here?” She asked as if he was stupid, angry that he’d tease and taunt when so many people she cared for were so near. 

“ I don’t think I would ever forget it. Relax, Seneschal, my plans tonight are not to make Martyrs.” 

That did relax her some, she herself had admitted, he was not wasteful. 

He offered his arm for her, and she took it. 

“ I also wouldn’t want to do anything to ruin my chances of playing further interesting games with you.” He lent Closer to her when he said this, and she blushed hard. 

“ If you can behave? I’ll get on my knees for you.” 

His shoulders moved in a way that told her he was biting back a laugh. 

“ Oh you are too fun, dearest Seneschal.” 

They walked to the table arm and arm, and he pulled out her chair before sitting himself. Yuiko sat too, and watched as the crowd slowly started to realize he’d simply materialized out of nowhere. 

A server quickly rushed over and offered them champagne, and she switched her glass with a fresh one before offering one to amon. 

“ Champagne?” 

Wordlessly he reached his hand out and she handed it to him. His elbows were on the table and he’d had his hands steepled in a very thoughtful pose. 

“ Are we outnumbered?” He asked softly, and if she hadn’t been sitting next to him she wouldn’t have heard it. It was interesting he hadn’t asked that earlier, and it was just as intriguing the change from Amon the masked gentleman, to Amon the equalist. Behind them she noticed the other Equalists, four formed a tight line to the side of them, hidden a bit under a pergola. 

Insurance. 

“ I’m afraid so.” She responded as she sipped. 

The servants and guests became a flurry of nervous feet and arms, trying to both get away from the smaller group and the servers trying to figure out how best to appease them without asking directly. 

“ The Airbender master is here.” He said quietly. 

“ Try anything and I’ll wipe the floor with you.” She responded as the other guests were quickly made to sit and join them. Reminding him that while they may play and toy with the other, she was still open to opposing him. 

She wondered if he’d taken note of the way she set her shoulders and the glint in her eye, how she too, slipped from simply Yuiko, to the avatars Seneschal. 

The head table was an interesting shape, a bit like an elongated oval, putting her and Amon further from the main group. 

Reporters and other journalists were kept away by police and palace guards from the north. 

She wondered how terrifying of a sight she and Amon looked, and for a second let the idea that she was just as dangerous as him consume her. 

The feeling was terrible and thrilling. 

Asami met her eyes and smiled brightly, it had a small tension to it, but Yuiko was grateful for it. She smiled back a bit. 

Desna and Eska were as creepy as she remembered, Desna sitting at the table while Eska stood behind her, solidifying that she was going to be making the major plays tonight. 

Prince Wu was an annoying little whelp of a boy, entitled and vain, the earth queen must’ve sent him as an insult to the negotiations rather than a proper stand in. 

Sir Varrick was something of a wild card, but he was southern water tribe and Tonraq was not a stupid man. She’d seen the non-bender work before and found him break-neck fast at negotiating the best deal for both parties if it benefited him. 

Iroh sat directly across from her as best he could, his eyes calculating as he took in the sight of them. No doubt he’d noticed the way they sat closer rather than further. 

Tenzin’s expression when she saw him was one that stirred up too many emotions. He wasn’t disappointed or angry, instead he looked relieved and worried. 

She clenched her fist, fighting back the need to run and hug him. 

Tarrlok was the last to sit, and he was beyond tense. She was surprised he didn’t pop from the way he clenched his jaw when he saw them. 

The representatives talked quietly among themselves as the appetizers were served, trying to ignore the elephant-bison in the room. 

Again, she was grateful for Asami, who was sitting closest and asked her “ Do you think we’ll see snow soon? It’s certainly getting cold enough to expect it.” 

Her tone was light, and tense like the strings of a too tight violin. 

“I hope so, Lady Asami, I rather miss the snow. Though I think republic city’s snow is different than South Pole flurries.” 

She felt Amons eyes on her as she spoke, and smiled back at asami. 

“ General, are you fond of snow?” 

Iroh made a face. 

“ Not since I was thrown into a pile as a child.” 

She tittered politely, because she had thrown him into the snow. 

“ And you, Sir Varrick?” 

He made a ‘eh’ sound. 

“ Not the most comfortable weather for me I rather like the dry, but it does make for delicious sno-cones! Which I’m thinking about rolling out a line of things called ‘freezie-squeezers ’! One minute it’s syrup and water, the next BAM! Cold refreshing cucumber melon ice!” 

When she glanced at amon she saw the recognition in his eyes of what she was doing. 

“ That sounds wonderful, Let me know if you need any help backing that.” Yuiko replied, her confidence coming back thanks to her familiarity with the people she was placing on the board. 

“ Well as fun as instant ice sounds, I much rather be eating more than talking.” Tarrlok interrupted. Irritated in a sort of humorous way, as if he wanted both to laugh and yell. 

“ I wasn’t aware benders couldn’t make small talk.” Amon’s voice surprised her, because to anyone else it would be simply his own terrifying self. But to her, there was a sharp tension to it. Like he couldn’t stand the sight of the other man. 

She wondered if she had anything to do with that. 

“ The Councilman is great at small talk. I'm afraid we’ve just caught him on an off night.” She replied, taking a nibble of the appetizer she was provided. 

Amon tilted his head down in the most subtle way. Meaning he understood what she was saying. 

This game was an easy one for them. If she said something light and jovial, but she also addressed them by name, then Amon knew which of these negotiators stood the best chance with getting on his side from her insider knowledge on them. So far that included Iroh, Asami, And Varrick. She intended to add Tenzin to the list but not on his side, just her’s. If she didn’t address someone directly or didn’t use anything beyond their proper title, he needed to stay away from trying to work with. He was also watching her hands, if they remained relaxed, he knew that whatever personal level she was on with the subject in question was a good one. If she tensed them it meant the opposite, and from their earlier discussion in the car, he wasn’t surprised to find her hands clenched. 

“ Ha! He called you out!” Prince Wu said, pointing a fork at Tarrlok. 

The subtle eye roll she gave was enough for Amon to know she didn’t particularly like Wu and to not even bother. 

“ I think,” Tarrlok said after composing himself. “ We might need some more champagne.” 

Servers came with bottles but Amon held his hand up. His own glass was still full after all. 

Yuiko was grateful that the nervously sweating server had a steady hand. 

Tenzin finally spoke up. 

“ I think we all are dancing around the real issue here. And I hate to break the mood, but there are important matters to discuss.” 

A grim sort of atmosphere filled the table, but no one objected. 

“ So. Amon, what will bring this to a end with minimal casualties?” Tenzin asked the leader directly. 

The table put all eyes on them, more intently this time. 

However, rather than answering right away, Amon pretended as if he hadn’t heard anything, and was busy examining his glass. Holding it up to the light, scenting the aroma. Shockingly he sipped it through his mask. 

Yuiko wanted to elbow him to knock it off, but instead followed his lead. If he was acting relaxed, she needed to act the opposite. She made her shoulders tense, and kept her eyes focused on her plate. 

When he finally spoke again, it was that same voice in the night on a shore with icy waves. The same voice that haunted Korra's dreams. 

The only voice that ever scared her. 

“ What makes you think I want to end this?” 

She kept her gaze down, her heartbeat jumping as she saw Lin’s face again, composed and resigned as part of herself was torn away. 

A hand was set on her thigh, the hand that had done so much damage, that stole so much, was gentle now. His thumb rubbing a little soft circle. 

An onslaught of questions hurtled their way, and Yuiko kept her composure. 

The next round was served, giving them a small reprieve and Amon made a show of placing his napkin in his lap and slicing into the decadent steak on his plate. When she reached to do the same, under the table his foot nudged hers. 

So she paused with a fork in her hand. Just staring down at the meal. 

She wasn’t sure how’d he ate with so many people watching them, but he lifted the bottom of his mask and slipped the bite there. 

“ Surely if you came here, you’d be open to negotiating.” 

Asami was fast to be placating and Amon turned his attention to the young woman. 

“ Perhaps, but this seems more like an interrogation and less a negotiation, Miss Sato.” His tone was pleasant and charming again, and she saw the confusion on Asamis face but she didn’t seem to mind. 

“ We’d be willing to offer leniency to your Equalists and you, maybe even offer you a legitimized sect in republic city.” Tenzin was surprisingly gentle in tone. 

“ Like a police force?” Yuiko asked, trying not to sound too happy about it. 

That was the best possible scenario she could imagine. 

Tenzins reply was quick, eager “ Possibly. Or a worldwide special operation.” 

“So you’re making me a offer?” Amon asked seemingly the table after a moment. His tone wasn’t curious, cautious, or clever. Just neutral. 

Tenzin nodded. “ Yes, within reason you’ll have to abide by rules but, According to the Seneschals broadcasts and the outcry through the nations, your ideology has merit. The method is extreme but, well. My father did the same thing to someone who’d gained too much power. Maybe the spirits gave you the ablilty because they too, recognized the good that could come from it.” 

Tarrlok looked well. Pissed. But hid it with a smile. 

“ Master Tenzin, you can't possibly agree that taking bending is a...Good thing. Your father did what was needed to be-“ 

Asami cut him off “ But he’s right. Amon so far has targeted only The triads, people our police can only fight so much.” 

“ I appreciate the support of fellow non-bender. Despite your loyalties.” Amon’s voice was gentlemanly, he clearly didn’t care to scare or spook the younger woman.

“ However I am surprised by your support, considering your family was highest on my target list, Master Tenzin.” 

Tenzin went paler, knowing he’d accidentally stepped out and into the open without a thought. 

But what Tenzin failed to notice in his dread, was that Amon had used ‘was’. Past tense. 

Her efforts had not gone to waste, but that meant she needed to pick him a new target. His glance at her was confirmation enough, and she considered the table. 

  
  


Prince Wu wasn’t a bender, harming him would do little and She’d never give up Iroh. 

“ Princess Desna.” She started.

Amon glanced to the side at her, surprised. 

Desna was young, and maybe she could forgive her for what she was doing to her. But the chief of the northern water tribe was a choice, and she’d rather that pretentious bastard over Tenzin. 

“ I must say I’m surprised you’re here. I expected your father. But it’s always fun to have someone so...Blunt at a dinner.” 

Desna didn’t smile. But her eyes seemed more interested. 

“ Father is busy with preparations for the solstice. He takes the spiritual aspect of being Chief very seriously. And, this seemed like fun to do.” 

She turned her attention to Tarrlok next, their eyes meeting and she gave him her best, gentle smile. 

“ I bet you're relieved you're dealing with the daughter rather than the father, aren’t you councilman?” 

Her positive attention seemed to strip Tarrlok of his annoyance, and he smiled back dashingly. “ I am thankful to be here in any capacity, any event you’re at Lady Seneschal is always so delightful.” 

Amons fist was closed. He’d take that challenge. 

Spirits forgive her for setting him after Korra's uncle, but maybe Desna would be spared with her brother and mother. She assumed Malina was competent at least, Unalaq didn’t seem the kind of man to marry for preference or on a whim. But she felt no qualms about potentially setting him on the councilman. Consequences be damned. 

Something very interesting happened then, it was a subtle change, but she noticed it in Varrick, who’d been eating away and partially appearing to be interested in the conversation. However, his eating had slowed as he glanced at Yuiko. 

There was understanding there, in his eyes. 

Another player on the board, and Yuiko closed her eyes for a moment to communicate that yes. They were playing together. 

Another round was brought out, finger foods to bide them until dessert. Amon lent and switched their plates. 

“ I like yours better.” He said in that soft way that only she could hear. 

Which puzzled her. The plates were identical, a puffy pastry with savory things, stuffed mushroom caps, a bit of rice piled into a neat pyramid. 

“ Hey, Yuiko.” Varrick said. 

“ Yes, Sir Varrick?” 

His eyes had a friendly brightness to them “ How about you go and get me some of that fancy ladies room powder? I’d ask asami or Zhu li but they cut me off. Pluuuuus you’re the Seneschal right? Servant for the avatar? Aka all people she protects?” 

Again, she was puzzled. But her irritation at being reminded of the truth of her status won over. 

“ Well, Can it wait until dessert?” She asked, even though she knew it was better to help the man first then worry about yourself later. 

“ I’m BEGGING you! Look at me! I’m getting all oily! Soon you’ll be able to bend the sweat and grease right off me like some kind of pore bender!” 

Desna spoke “ I am a girl.” 

Yuiko considered, but Varrick wasn’t stupid and knew that he might seem like he was just abusing the system, but in reality he probably had something planned to make her get up and leave. 

“ Alright, a short break and then we’ll get back to it.” 

That more was for Amon than anything. 

Quietly, she asked said man, knowing the table on the other end had fallen into quiet chatter so they wouldn’t hear them. 

“ Can you behave until I get back?” 

He waved her off, not rudely but in a sort of amused way she’d even ask.“ You wound me, Seneschal. Of course I can behave.” 

Yuikos mouth twisted a little at that, trying to hide the little amused smirk she’d no doubt otherwise show. 

The equalist guards who stood off to the side for her and Amon did not follow her, and she made an easy beeline for the powder room. 

She took the moment of solace in the room to digest everything that happened. 

Aside from that excellent carriage ride, Amon now had her picking targets and allies, and she wondered if he was genuinely interested in peace talks or just getting her to sweat. 

She felt hopelessly confused at this game. And wondered if the carriage ride was a purposely misleading move to make her feel comfortable with the equalist so he could tip the board in his favor. 

It was working well, her own emotions splashing up and tainting the tactical aspect of her mind. 

Her fingers felt cold at the idea she had any emotion for the leader other than mutual respect for his brilliant, frightening mind. 

  
  


Yuiko held the edge of the basin of the sink, and looked up at herself in the mirror. Typically she could take pride in her appearance. In her time captive she hadn’t lost much weight, and was glad to find any damage was just internal. 

Drinking in some vanity, she inspected herself. 

Cosmetics were something she excelled at, and she was glad she had a small pouch in her gown to slip things into, rouge, a small fingernail file, and a tiny goal of rose water. She’d lined her eyes with a deep blue and didn’t have much else in the way of makeup on, she was a prisoner. Her braids and thick hair clasps gave her a sense of refinement, and she adjusted her clips out of habit rather than need. It felt nice, to occupy her time with something so indulgent as adjusting her appearance at a party. She wished however, that her premature silver streak in her hair could be minimized. 

The complimentary powder was usually refilled from a compartment under the sink, where another tin or dish of powder would be. 

She didn’t know how much the man wanted, but she figured four was more than enough. 

She almost walked into Zhu li, who caught any toppling tins so fast she was like lighting.

“Sir Verrick asked me to join you. He said you looked like you could use a break.” 

Yuiko smiled a little. “ that’s very generous of him.” 

However the other woman didn’t move, and she looked side to side before she said softly. 

“ Tread lightly, Seneschal. “ 

Yuiko blinked surprised, and the other woman quickly walked away. 

A interesting way to get the message across.

——

Sitting back down, Yuiko felt a bit better having a break. 

Amon glanced at her. 

“ I behaved.” 

She almost snorted at that. 

“Good. How about the others?”

“ Terrible company.” Which, she figured they’d likely try not to talk to amon without someone they knew on his side. 

“ Can I finally eat?” She asked, and he answered softly “ No one seems panicked. We aren't doubled over in pain, I think it should be fine.” 

She wanted to hit his arm, it would’ve been nice to be made aware of that, and it was unfair he’d been able to eat and she hadn’t in the slightest. Under the table she reached and pinched the side of his thigh in retaliation. 

He flinched a little and squinted at her. Yuiko acted as if she did nothing wrong, and simply smoothed down her skirt. 

“ You’re lucky you came back in time for the Dessert round and otherwise I would’ve left you nothing but crumbs.” 

Knowing the others were busy talking among themselves, she kept her gaze down, at her nails. 

“ I would’ve found you licking your plate clean then? How rude, when you promised me-“ 

Amons shoulders tensed and he nudged her foot again. In a rush, he said softly. 

“ as much as I enjoy our little...interludes, you must keep that to yourself lest I decide to show your General that the backside he admires belongs to me.” 

She paused and glanced up at Iroh, who happened to look at her at the same moment. Yuiko smiled at him, and he smiled back softly. 

When he wasn’t looking, she very pointedly informed Amon of a little tidbit she’d been keeping to herself. 

“ Who do you think I first learned the talent of my mouth with?” 

Her free hand under the table was grabbed hard. Not to crush or silence, but to squeeze. 

“Stop. And I’ll let you have my dessert.” 

“ Deal.”

That at least she was thankful for. 

Dessert was delightful, to see, sugar art in the form of intricate animals, everyone’s plates were different, Amon got a falcon-hawk on his, and she got a lovely Ray-whale on hers. The wings gave an amber shadow over the main confection, a tiny triplet of three of the fanciest macron cookies she’d ever seen. One was golden brown and filled with a delicious red bean paste, the next was lemony and colored like a rising sun, and the last was a interesting floral taste, she loved them and she almost forgot they were in the middle of a tense negotiation. 

“ So...is there something we can agree on? You and the Equalists stopping this crusade and being given special permission to handle groups or events we otherwise can contain?” Tenzin was quick; she'd give him that. 

From where they were sitting, they didn’t see Amon slide his plate at Yuiko. Mindful of the sugar art. 

“ Permission is a interesting word. Considering you have been unsuccessful in stopping me in the slightest.” He replied, his voice a tense deep thunder. 

“ Well, I mean it in a...What I mean is that you wouldn’t need any resistance in dealing with problems. But in return we’d need your cooperation to stop the fear and stop the unchecked persecution. “ 

The table was silent, watching the two and Amon slowly stood. 

“ The only reason we are here is because of the actions of benders. And while it has been the action of a few to damage the world at large irreversibly, Fire lords and common criminals namely, those sitting here at this table represent the bigger issue. No laws enforce the wellbeing of non benders, and no laws discourage those with power to keep it in check. And all you think it will take to appease me, is a dinner?” His voice rose a bit in depth, not in volume as she’d never heard him yell. He was right. Terrifying and right. 

A commotion drew their attention to the worst possible thing to come about tonight. 

Korra was hastily dressed in something nice, her eyes ablaze and she stormed up to the table. Pausing when she realized she’d come at the tail end of the discussion. 

Amons fingers twitched. 

“ Ah. I was wondering if the entertainment would ever arrive.” 

He gestured to an empty chair. 

“ Would you like to come and join us? I was in the middle of a speech about benders being the disease in this world.” 

Korra’s mouth turned into a giant grimace and she stood still. 

“ As great as that sounds, I’m here to negotiate.” 

“ Excellent. Have you come to offer yourself in surrender?” He asked, turning his body more to the avatar. Yuiko stood and grabbed his arm, and he turned his head to look at her quickly. Then, slowly, he sat back down. 

“ What..What he means is that we were just discussing how to fix a larger problem. And with the avatar here, I think we could find an excellent solution.” 

A torrent of emotions hit her, relief that Korra seemed to be well. She didn’t look sleep deprived or injured. She looked...well. Well. 

But then horror and fear hit her too, too many of the things she cared about were close to the one person who she knew, would love to see her scramble to save them. 

Another feeling came to her. Pride. She was proud to see Korra, who’d been tormented by the idea of Amon stealing her bending, who on memorial island broke down and sobbed to her and Tenzin. She was immeasurably proud that she would swallow down her fear to be here. Even if it was completely stupid of her to do so. 

Korra sat next to Tenzin as the servers scrambled to make room for her. Tarrlok raised his glass and asked for a refill. 

She was vaguely aware of a tiny clink sound, and then she felt Amon grab her and slam her to the floor, knocking the wind from her as all hell broke loose. 

She started to kick and search for the nearest rhythm of water, and he pushed her back down and under the table, keeping her covered with his own body. 

Not knowing what in the world he was doing, and her internal self preservation skills kicking in, Yuiko clawed at him when she felt able to again. Trying to push him off, even though the man was like a solid brick wall. 

“ STAY DOWN” his version of a roar was terrifying, and she froze on the spot. Her limbs refused to obey her and she laid frozen under him, pain bloomed through her entire body with every beat of her heart. His eyes were nearly white in their fury and she felt her lungs scream with need for air. 

“ Don’t move. Do not move.” He grabbed her face firmly, and hunched himself up to fiddle with something under his mask. Then he wrapped some freed fabric over her mouth. 

“ Don’t move.” He repeated. “ Breathe shallow.” 

And he darted away from her as the screams around her grew. 

When she was able to feel her limbs again she fought the urge to scrape at her eyes, the smoke bombs had some sort of other chemical to them, making her eyes burn and her lungs ache. But she disobeyed the equalist and crawled out from under the table. The view was haunting, the entire party had turned into a foggy hellscape, people screaming and the screams ending quickly. Shadows crawling along the floor. 

She stepped into a piece of sugar art, and kept walking as she kept the fabric Amon Gave her over her mouth. 

Oddly enough. It smelled like him. Like clean soap and lavender. It smelled like his cape, and she was thankful for that tidbit of familiarity as she found herself alone. 

A man shot past her screaming, clawing at his eyes and crying that the Equalists were attacking. 

“ Korra!” She shouted, hoping to hear a call back. 

Party goers scattered and screamed, and she stumbled around trying to avoid overturned chairs. 

There were Different voices, echoing the sentiment of the man earlier, that the Equalists had been the ones to attack, and she grit her teeth. She couldn’t see and her vision was getting worse by the second. She needed to find her Avatar and get her to safety first, she could hear Tenzin shouting out something, and she hit the fountain's edge with her knee. 

Yuiko grunted and grabbed the stone, then considered flushing her eyes out with the water but, she didn’t know what sort of chemical it was or if it was just smoke. It might react badly to water.

Before she could thing something hard struck her side, and she was hit with another wave of the smoke. She coughed and gagged, gripping onto the tie Amon had given her, She then hopped into the fountain, consequences be damned. It wasn’t deep, but she dove under the second small fall of water from its next tier. That at least would give her some cover. And she pressed her back to the stone of the fountain when she heard footsteps. She couldn’t see whoever was outside the little oasis, only that they were looking about. The figure seemed shorter than Amon, and a bit wider than Tenzin, and definitely not Korra. She kept Amons tie tight in her fist, and a old trick she learned returned to her. 

Water flowed and ebbed in Rythms, and she could feel those same Rhythms in others. Master Katara had attributed it to her incredible prowess as a prodigy waterbender, but it was a technique that required incredible focus, and practice. 

She reached out with her hands slightly, and felt. 

In waves she could sense the partygoers. 

Desna and eska at the edges of the event being surrounded by their guards. 

Prince Wu being dragged from under a table to safety .

Varrick and Zhu-li had run too, also surrounded by protection. 

Tenzin was bending air around Iroh and Tarrlok, asami being pulled into the little area by the General. 

But where was Korra? 

She took a deeper breath and raised her hands higher, and could not find her. 

Then she felt Amon. 

He was by the table again, he’d been kneeling in the first rhythm. 

Eventually she felt him move, stepping through the fog and mist without hesitation. And she realized he wasn’t attacking as he passed through the smoke, he was searching. Which informed Yuiko of something curious. 

If his intention had been to attack, why not do so outright? And why wasn’t he using the smoke that should’ve been his own, to attack benders here?

She moved to the edge of the fountain, and thought better of trying to step out of it with her sight as blurry as it was now. 

If he had planned and did this, then Amon should’ve assumed she’d run and be with the others. She’d already threaten their agreement before, a second strike would be all she needed to justify her running if he ever caught her again. 

She felt out again with her hand, he was moving further, and if he was looking for her he was probably trying to get into her head. He was getting closer to where Tenzin was trying to lead a path to safety and her heart flipped. 

“ Amon!” She called out, it was rough and thin, but she watched him turn quickly and like water, flow to where he’d heard her. 

She heard a splash in the fountain and figured it was another smoke bomb, and reached out again with her bending. He was closer, so she called him again, he stopped and turned and she could just see his shadow in the golden dying light of the lamps. 

She’d turned too slow before someone grabbed her and covered her mouth with a sweet scented cloth. 

Kicking and thrashing she bit at the hand, realizing her mistake too late, she was breathing in vapors and tried to bend, but found it weak and splashy. 

Whatever she was breathing in also seemed to weaken her muscles, and she struggled hard before they too became washy. 

Whoever had her dragged her and as she felt her conscious swimming she felt her fingers go numb and limp. The silk slipping from her fingers and being lost in the drag. 

She had her hands tied and she was thrown into the back of a truck, it was a common sort of transport truck, but in it was Korra, unconscious. She watched the avatar's face twist as she fought the chloroform, and it was the last sight she witnessed before her own dose took her under. 


	7. But not too far, or you'll be drowned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But can you brave what you must fear?  
> Can you face what the river knows?  
> Where the north wind, meets the sea.

The house on the lake was one her father designed from a dream, it was whimsical and sprawling. And it had a dock with a little boat they used to take to the floating market. 

Today they were smoking squid outside, her father loved to get his hands dirty, and tried to do as much physical labor as his body would allow. 

It wasn’t fantastic, but it was a memory and a dream that she often liked. 

“ Yuiko.” Her father called to her from the smoke lean, and she looked up from where she’d been collecting pebbles by the lakeshore. 

The water was deep blue, and reflected back her face. She was a child again, her hair wild and unbound.Then she did as always and went to her father’s side. 

She treasured the expression on sojiros face, because he seemed so at ease. He was not an old man, but his illness had taken many years from him. Even here in the watery scape of her mind, he was relaxed. She’d looked up at him and lifted her arms to be picked up, which he obliged. Sojiro smelled often like ink and old paper, she remembered watching his hands as he worked, how he flowed like a fish in a stream as he worked and designed. How he could make worlds with long elegant strokes. She used to fall asleep listening to him scratch buildings and homes and worlds onto paper. ‘’I think you were born with a frown on your face.’’ he teased, smiling at her adoringly. 

The scene shifted to something new, and she was taller now. But still on the shore of the lake. 

“ Yuiko!” Korra called, she was little again, standing on the dock. “ Look at me!” She said as she hopped into the water with a splash. When she surfaced she was grinning and doggy paddling back to shore where she stood. “ Did you see that?! Did you see?! I flooded the shore!!” The tiny avatar Beamed up at her, and Yuiko nodded. “ I did! That was fantastic!” 

“ Yuiko.” Came a sharper voice, not in tone but in recognition. 

She turned and saw Amon, dressed as he alway was, tending to the grill. 

Panic should’ve been what she felt, 

But it was just so...odd to see him here. And he seemed at ease too, even with her little avatar so close. 

“ She's going to catch a cold if you keep letting her swim.” He mentioned flatly. “ It’s spring.” 

Korra stuck her tiny tongue out at him. “ You’re not the avatar I am!” She demonstrated by bending a tiny trickle of water at him. “ and I don’t get colds!” 

Amon didn’t look impressed, and thanks to dream physics, he simply came over and dropped her back into the lake. Korra laughed and rushed back to shore for him to do it again. 

He tilted his head at Yuiko when she didn’t move or say anything. 

“What? She can swim.” 

“ That..Isn’t the problem...”

Amon chuckled “ Seneschal, you worry so much that a streak of yours is going to get bigger.” 

He came closer, and took her hand. Giving it a ghostly squeeze. “Relax, I was only joking.’’

Korra ran over to them, demanding to be thrown back into the lake again. 

The scene twisted and changed, They were on memorial island. Amon had korra's face gripped in his hand and she remembered being chi blocked and helpless, watching him taunt the avatar before knocking her unconscious. 

With a jolt she realized that he’d watched her. His eyes inhuman and curious at her still trying to fight despite not having any feeling in her limbs. 

Then they were in the rain again, cold and relentless. Instead of Lin kneeling in front of her and her bending being taken, it was Korra.

Amons voice came in a threatening gentleness. 

_ “ There is no where you can hide from me, Seneschal.”  _

—-

She woke with a start 

It was cold, wherever they were.

Yuiko was tied with her hands behind her back. Her legs also tied down. 

“ Korra?” She asked into the freezing basement. 

“ Yuiko?” The avatar called back. She was trapped in what Yuiko assumed five seconds ago was some sort of locker, but upon closer notice it was indeed a cage. 

The Seneschal tested her bonds and found them painfully well tied. 

  
  


It seemed as good a time as any to fill the other in on the goings on. 

Korra spoke first, The push back against the Equalists, the riots in Ba sing se. How half the city was now taken by the Equalists and the only thing that kept the benders safe was a sanctuary section far from the water territory of the city. How many benders had heeded her warning, and how many had fallen despite it. 

Yuiko informed Korra of everything she could think that would be helpful. That Amon wanted outside support which meant he wanted some stability to this, and he wanted more than just a moment for this revolution. 

And, since Korra was her closest friend and little sister, she informed her of...the more interesting things she’d learned about the equalist. That he hadn’t kept her caged in a basement, nor had he hurt her further than making her watch Lin lose her bending. How he’d brought her a book to read. She left out the steamer details, despite her voice giving away how much she’d enjoyed even the mundane things he’d done for her. But she also informed her that she doubted any of this was Amons doing. 

He was not wasteful, and he was smart enough not to leave her and Korra alone for so long with their bending intact. 

Korra, thankfully didn’t react worse than a teenager would to knowing their parents had dated at some point. “ Urgh sounds like you’re in love.” 

Yuiko felt her face heat. 

“ What? Don’t like the idea of me and Amon kissing and spouting sonnets?” 

Korra gave a grim laugh. 

“ Eww, I can’t imagine him writing love letters... ‘Dearest Yuiko I love you so much because your boobs are extra big and you’re so smart! My evil eyes do nothing but try and get a peek at them!” 

Yuiko, despite her situation, laughed. Then joined Korra in her ‘Amon’ tone. 

“ Yuiko I think I might just start a revolution if it means I can see one bare Buttcheek! Enclosed in this letter is one terrible doodle of my hard-“Which made the avatar groan. “ So gross!” 

They both chuckled and settled back into a grim, but slightly brighter silence. It was common, when they were little and in trouble to try and make the other laugh.Despite Amon being a real threat, there was nothing they could do to minimize that other than to laugh at the problem.

“ How’s your love life?” Yuiko asked quietly. 

“ Better than yours I think. At least Mako Isn't some lunatic with the gifts of the spirits who want to play Grab Ass over Tactical planning stuff, but I’m sure he really doesn’t want anything to do with avatar business.” 

“Aw you’ll get there.” 

“ But I’ve also been having these...visions. And I think it’s my past lives trying to connect with me? But I don’t know what they mean.” 

“ Have you asked Tenzin?” 

“ Yeah but, he always says to meditate. And you know I’m awful at that.” 

Yui nodded to herself. “Well. Tell me about them.” 

“ Mostly They're just flashes. Of this guy, who I don’t recognize but he looks watertribe. And of Aang, angry.” 

Like she always did, she felt immense sadness hearing the Airbenders name. 

After the death of her father, and With it being decided that the next avatar should have a regular guide for their journey, Avatar Aang had set up a sort of ‘talent scouting’, benders and non benders from all over the world were considered for the position of Seneschal, who would have to be young to keep up with the new avatar. There’d been a trial, the children had to complete rigorous tests and feats, to prove they’d be the best. 

The last test had been one Aang himself had participated in. All the children were put into a training gym and left to their devices. Given no direction some of the children spared and played, and Yuiko did join in. However, When Aang entered the room to greet them, she had not joined in the swarming of the great hero, She’d been distracted and creating little chalk doodles with some stones someone had left behind to bend with. 

  
  


Despite Sojiro raising her well, he’d also raised her as an odd child. His own interesting personality bleeding into hers. So after Aang introduced himself and when the old avatar asked _ “ and what do you think of me?” _ She’d answered honestly. 

_ “ I think you look like a raisin.”  _

The answer hadn’t been mean spirited, and it was just so honest that the avatar burst into laughter on the spot, and when she’d laughed back, she’d won the title of Seneschal. 

Later on, she learned that Aang was looking for a specific kind of person, one who reminded him of the reason why he’d made the position in the first place. Councilman Sokka had been something of a template for Seneschal anyway. And though the intent was to find a serious child, her honesty solidified her position. 

  
  


It had won her the first of many games. And from then on she was trained to be the next Seneschal. She worked closely with the old man, who’d taken to her as if she was a grandchild rather than his next incarnation's babysitter. He snuck her sweets and let her get away with breaking rules here and there. 

Before he died, he gave her a beaded monk necklace, smaller than the ones he typically wore in formal attire . So that way he could find her when he returned.

When she’d met Korra, the tiny four year old had tucked her little hand under Yuiko’s sleeve and found where she wound the beads around her wrist under the fabric. And they’d been inseparable since. 

  
  


Since Yuiko was younger than master Katara, often the combative part of training was relegated to her.

Korra solved problems with brute force and with unwavering stamina. Yuiko always provided a challenge, as she was tactical and methodical. 

But in all the time they’d trained they’d never gotten Korra close to mastering the spiritual aspect of her bending. Not for a lack of trying though, even if some of the white lotus elders thought otherwise. It was one of the young Avatar's greatest insecurities, she believed often that her lack of spiritual connection meant she wasn’t going to be even decent at being the avatar. That no one would write legends about her the way they did someone like Kyoshi, or Roku. That she’d fade into history like so many avatars before her that never did anything remarkable. 

Yuiko knew that telling her friend that it would come to her in time was redundant and frustrating, and often explained to think of creating those connections like boiling water for tea.There was only so much you could do while the water warmed, and it was better to focus on the other things such as leafs and sugar than just sit around moping about how long the water was taking. Spiritual connections took their own sweet time, and Bending itself often didn’t. 

Korra had appreciated the visualization, but it only soothed the wound for a bit. 

Which brought her back to why now, why would Aang be wordlessly connecting with Korra rather than outright saying something. 

“ I hate to sound like Tenzin, but maybe you should meditate? Not much else we can do.” 

“ I hate to say it, but you may be right.” 

“ I’m always right.” 

They fell into silence for a while. And Korra then asked quietly. 

“ Can you tell me a story? Like you used to when we were little?” 

She didn’t know if it was because she was afraid, or because she needed assurance that Yuiko was there. But she didn’t care all that much either way. Korra didn’t cling onto her childhood comforts like anyone else might, the avatar was a waterbender after all, she was always ready to change and flow wherever her current went. She also had a desire to appear stronger than she was, it was something Yuiko could exploit during a fight because it did not stop at the physical aspect. 

So she started, and told her whichever story came to mind. 

  
  
  


—-

She’d lost any semblance of feeling in her arm about an hour ago, Korra was still meditating, or sleeping she wasn’t sure, and that left her hands literally and figuratively tied. She could dwell on their conversation earlier, about how much she missed the old avatar, or her father or on how terrible a disservice Korra’s heart was doing to her thanks to that firebending boy. 

Or....she could focus on her own problems and the ones Amon had willingly and unwittingly created for her. 

  
  


That made her squirm a little, thinking about herself in context with the Equalist leader on such a personal level. 

But it was also unavoidable. 

For all his hate for benders, and all his cruelty, she turned her attention to those tiny Brief moments when they weren’t at war with each other. Even the heated moment in the car, the after of it. He’d been...sweet, as much as she believed he was able given their opposing ideals and his personality. 

She wondered if that kindness could ever counterbalance his cruelty. 

And, she felt Oddly connected to him. They had nothing in common as far as their upbringing, she didn’t think pitying his terrible past was too far of an overstep, but they were unlike in upbringing. She never wanted for any material thing, and while she lost the only blood family she’d ever known, she at least had Korra and to an extent, Master Katara. She wondered what Amon’s life had been like, after the loss of his family. 

Then there were their conversations. 

It felt less like negotiating and more like a sparring session most of the time, well needed and welcomed. If she’d been captured earlier on she might’ve saved a lot of grief, for all his thinking ahead and being miles out of their reach, she’d caught up hadn’t she? All she had needed was to be in front of him, and she could see the paths he would consider, and wouldn’t. 

  
  


He was her equal, if she wanted to be deeper about it. The idea that he almost made her groan, because of how on the nose the idea was. 

The memory of his strong, lean muscled arms around her made her forearms ache with the longing she had to have him do it again. 

To her alarm, she realized that she almost slipped into a fantasy of him here with her, putting an arm around her waist and whispering something along the lines of _ ‘are you cold, Dearest Seneschal? Come closer, I don’t want you getting sick on me.’  _

She hated that she missed him in any capacity. But, within her own mind, it didn’t hurt to indulge herself. 

What might’ve happened, had they made it back to air temple island without a problem? 

She bit her lip at the idea of him making good on his promise, of ignoring what they were outside of her bedroom, and focusing on nothing but the other. 

Well at least she was a little warmer now. 

——-

Their captor indeed, was not Amon. 

However she was dumbfounded it was Tarrlok. 

“ Well isn’t this a fun sight. The Seneschal of the avatar in my basement.” He looked a bit off, like he’d been awake for seven days straight and was now ready to murder anyone for a chance to sleep. 

The hate she felt would have melted the basements chill. She’d started shivering a bit ago, and Tarrlok seemed amused by that. 

“ Cold? I bet you’ve already lost feeling in your arms like that. Here.” He came over, undoing her restraints to reposition her like a damned fool. 

Yuiko moved quickly as lighting, pulling down his hair hard with a yank, and kicking out his knee. Even though her hand was still numb and gummy, she was thankful it still obeyed her. 

She scrambled to move to korra’s box, and cried out as a terrible pain raced up her body. Every pulse of her heart was like having needles shoved into her veins. She couldn’t stop the cries of pain it pulled from her, and her fellow prisoner was probably spitting fire at the sound. 

She expected Tarrlok to have stabbed her, but she found herself pinned hard against the floor, even though she couldn’t feel his hands. 

“ Now, look what you’ve done.” She craned her head to look at him and found a terrible sight. 

His hands were lifted, and his fingers tense. 

“How long have we known each other, hoshino? A few years?” He turned her so she was still on the floor, the scrape of concrete stung. 

“ Yet you’ve never been moved to help me, never been able to see the team we could make together. But there you are, on the radio helping some lunatic? Then it clicked for me, ``The Equalists have beifong, which means you’re working with them to save her.” He looked at her as if he was expecting her to confirm this with her chin smashed into the floor. She also hated how pleased he sounded with himself for ‘figuring out’ her reason for working with Amon, even if he’d missed the mark. 

“ So I think, you working with me for the safety of the avatar would be an excellent thing to motivate you, wouldn’t it? Besides, I’m sure the avatar was about to expose my identity anyway, weren’t you?” 

The metal box rattled “ I knew it! I knew you were a bloodbender! Not just any bloodbender, you’re the son of Yakone!” Her voice was full of burning victory, and Yuikos mind raced as she recalled that name and incident. She hadn’t been alive obviously, but Katara had told her about it. 

_ “Bloodbending is the most dangerous form of bending. Those who master it, will always lose a part of themselves, and some can never recover from that loss.” Her old voice echoed in Yuikos mind, gentle and warning.  _

Tarrlok lifted Seneschal to her knees. 

“ I know this is a bit unorthodox, but I’m excited to see what you’ll...  **_offer_ ** for the avatars safety.” 

Knowing Tarrlok, knowing he wanted power and notoriety, she had a good guess of what he wanted her to offer. 

Yuiko did not learn many things outside of her standard training in decorum, and bending. But she did learn one thing from watching southern dock workers. 

She spit hard at his cheek, her aim impeccable. 

The man paused and looked genuinely surprised. Then tossed her like a rag doll against the stairs. She shouted in pain as she hit a jagged step. He lifted her again and tossed her hard into the ground, and she was thankful for the split second he lost control of her arms, so she could shakily lift herself off the floor. Yuiko grinned at him despite the pain and she was sure she had a busted lip at least. 

“ You bend...like a... _ bitch _ .” She spat again at his feet and he snarled, but this time he grabbed her by her hair. 

Something deep, and cruel within her made her fingers twitch. It’s voice is oddly soothing, like an old friend.

_ ‘Hurt him’  _

She wanted to. She wanted badly too. But there were too many variables. 

“ I guess you’re not in the mood for negotiation, Seneschal.” He undid part of his waist sash and used it to gag her. 

“ Perhaps a few hours like this will make you feel more motivated.” She tensed her muscles to move to strike him, but he beat her to it and locked up her limbs. He tied her arms above her head, his fingers lingering too long against her skin. 

“ I think I like that look.” He patted her cheek and she thrashed at the touch, his hands were awfully soft, like he’d never seen a day of hard work. He looked into Korra's box and was met with a torrent of tiny flames. He snarled and walked back up the steps. 

“ Yuiko? Yuiko?” Korra panicked. 

She responded with a weak little muffled moan, her body finally pushing all her pain in a hard wave. 

Her ribs ached, her blood itself felt...raw. 

_ ‘Make him pay. Make him pay.’ _

“How bad is it? One grunt for ok, two for worse.” 

She grunted once. And listened as Korra slumped against the wall of her box. 

  
  


——

Yuiko wasn’t sure how long she and Korra had been captive. Maybe a day and maybe a night, her own body was exhausted but she couldn’t find sleep. 

They were alone in the world again. 

Until the door leading down cracked open again. She would need to be smart to free her and Korra, Tarrlok obviously had some twisted affection for her, or she hoped so. She could exploit it if it was so. 

She was determined not to look at Tarrlok as he came down the steps. His footsteps light and fast as he came over to her, almost soundless. 

And she forced herself to not cringe when he took her chin in his palm. 

Something was different. Tarrlok’s hands had callouses now. His fingers were stronger, his touch was gentle, and wholly familiar. 

She looked up and faced white silver eyes, and she almost sagged in relief. Despite the fact that it was the only person in the world she could fear. 

Amons eyes were alight with a cold fury. Like a comet streaking across the winter night sky. 

But he wasn’t speaking, so she didn’t either. 

His hand lifted to his mask, and he held up one finger to its mouth. 

Surely, if he was already in the house, then he would’ve found Tarrlok right? 

He moved his hands in a silent swift flurry, undoing her restraints just enough that she could break out of them, but not enough to make it obvious they were undone. An intentional gesture she was sure of, and she watched him closely. He was being quiet on purpose as he stepped away. Typically his boots made a soft thunk sound when he walked, but now he was deathly silent as he moved into the shadows of the basement. He’d redone her cage so it was locked again, but even in the dark she could see his eyes, Trained intently on her face and hers alone. 

An ambush. 

Tarrlok's heavier footsteps came down the stairs not a heartbeat later, he was even more irritated than last time. 

“ Thanks to that little stunt you tried to pull at the Dinner, Avatar, I'll have to leave the city! Of course, I’ll be taking you both, I’m sure the Seneschal can behave herself and keep you in line.” 

He did look angry, his arm bandaged as he stood in the middle of the damp room. 

“ So let’s negotiate, let’s say I let you and Korra live but in return I get your unwavering, unfaltering loyalty?” He knelt on a knee, leveling himself a bit with her and Yuiko swallowed down her defiance. 

She squirmed and spread her bound fingers wide, The councilman understood the gesture and reached to take off her gag. 

“ Let me see her! Let me see her and...I’ll do whatever you want. Please, she hasn’t said anything and I need to know she’s ok.” She forced her voice into a tight sound. 

Tarrlok smiled, strained and went over to Korra’s box. Unlocking it and using his bloodbending to drag the avatar out. 

Korra struggled in the grip of the councilman, her eyes wide and expression pained. 

She flicked her gaze back at the man in the shadows.

There were two options Yuiko had. Two terrible choices. Be indebted to Amon for saving her and Korra was one of them. And the other..

Her heart squeezed, because she knew she knew she had no choice but to pick it. 

“ I’m sorry.” She said, her voice truly strained, her stomach twisting in guilt knowing what she was about to do.

Tarrlok chuckled “ Oh are you? Well I’m glad you apologized, I’m willing to look past it.” 

Yuiko caught amons eyes again, and whatever expression she’d made had spooked the other. 

She would not be indebted to anyone. 

She felt like she was going to be sick.

She would open that door to madness, and face whatever was on the other side to fufill her duty as Seneschal. 

She hoped Katara would forgive her. 

“ I wasn’t apologizing to you.” 

Tarrlok raised a brow, and she felt Amon step forward. He was probably thinking that was his cue.

She yanked down her hands and shot them out, her sickness replaced with the indomitable feeling of release as she grabbed both of her captors. 

Her fingers spread and tensed like a stunned spider.

Amon and tarrlok both cried out in pain when her grip dug into their veins, she could feel their hearts, wild in terror and shock at what she was doing, and she could feel Korras too, horrified at what she was witnessing. 

Master Katara had once said that she believed Yuiko was born with her incredible gift, because something had thrown the world off And the spirits always sought out balance. 

Sojiro told her once, that her bending was not 

evil, despite the only known cases of it being recorded from people who wished to harm others. 

Hama being the first, capturing innocent villagers to avenge the dwindled numbers of the south. Defeated and mad, at the end of it. 

Katara herself being second, unwilling and scared from the experience of using it once. 

Yakone being until recently the last known, he’d nearly killed Aang and had been arrogant enough to think he could escape unscathed. 

Sojiro had encouraged her to use her unorthodox gift to be better than her predecessors. To heal the damage they’d left on the world. 

Katara had shared the sentiment, and though she did not practice with her protege, she helped. 

Even then, it was agreed that no one outside of Katara and herself should know how powerful Yuiko truly was. Always she was warned against using it, 

_ “ But, there is a reason you’ve been given this gift, and there is no reason for me to make you hate a part of yourself.”  _

She still hated herself anyway.

But right now? 

Nothing compared to the feeling. 

Not the euphoric rush of a victory hard won.

Not the feeling of having a monster kiss her until she was breathless.

Tarlok, power hungry and ambitious, finally subdued, his teeth were clenched hard and his eyes wild with fear. 

Amon fared better, His silvery eyes had pupils the size of pin pricks. But he too was prone and helpless to her. 

The feeling was wrong, and addictive. 

It took less than a second for her to put Tarrlok in so much pain that he dropped Korra. 

Thankfully her concentration didn’t need to break as Korra paused to watch, then quickly shot up the basement steps. 

Yuiko remembered to stand as she kept them still. 

Her fingers deliciously tense as she made the older man cry in pain. 

She made them both kneel. 

Tarrlok finally managed to spit out a simple “ No!” 

Amon too, struggled in her grip, his heart was different. Wild but...Something about the way it was beating was almost urging her. 

“ Full...Full of surprises...aren’t we?” He asked, his quicksilver eyes narrowed but not angry. 

She felt her grip loosen from Amon, and very slowly, he started to try and stand. 

Yuiko panicked, and focused all on him, grabbing every muscle, every vein and digging into him. 

It made Amon gasp, and then chuckle. He shouldn’t feel anything besides the pain she was pushing into him, but his shoulders were relaxing. 

He was breaking out of her bloodbending. 

“ Not even a full moon...” Amon mused, impressed. 

That too had troubled Katara. But she never had been offered an explanation or theory. 

Tarrlok was loose enough and he grabbed her, breaking her concentration as he started dragging her across the floor. 

Amon was quick to turn and attack the other man, breaking her from the hold and Yuiko did not wait nor did she help. She simply took the opening. 

She shot after Korra, who was surrounded by Equalists. They hadn’t moved yet, and Yuiko, deciding to all hell with it, reached out and grabbed each of them. Her grip was loose on each person, but she could pull them back as she covered Korra's escape. “ Go! Go! And I’ll catch up!” She called to her avatar, who was still terrified watching her. But Korra ran anyway. 

She was already sweating by now, and knew if she wasn’t careful she’d kill one of these people. A full moon Would Have been wonderful to have, to give her energy and strength and clarity. 

But all she had was her cursed bending and Waning concentration. 

Tarrlok Bolted up the steps and paused at the sight. Probably doing the smart thing and weighing the options he had. 

Her grip would not be strong enough to hold tarrlok and the five other bodies in the room. 

The moment she moved he did too, she pulled a body at herself and moved at the last minute. The person launching at Tarrlok who caught them easily and tossed them aside, he raised his hands and sent the five others down into the floor in pain with one hand, then grabbed her with another. 

She twisted her grip and he grunted as she forced his foot off balance. 

It was like her bones were being run through with hot iron. 

He lifted and dropped the other men to stun them and bring his full attention to her. Repaying her obviously for the pain she’d dealt him earlier. 

She scraped for any strength as he launched her into the nearest corner. The breath was stolen from her at the impact and she’d be lucky if nothing was broken. 

All of this had taken less than three minutes. In three minutes she’d lost in a way she never wanted to. 

Tarrlok took a steadying breath and came closer, grinning. 

“ Who would’ve thought the great Seneschal to the avatar was a bloodbender. And here I thought I was the only one left.” He walked forward and tilted her head back and forth. “ I’m sure such a valuable hostage will be worth the effort it takes to keep you-“ 

He turned quickly, Amon at the base of the stairs. Tarrlok reached out at him. The Equalist was stiff for a second, and judging by Tarrlok's hand he was dealing the other man the same amount of pain as Yuiko. 

Amon simply walked on, slower at the start.

“ What are you?!” Tarrlok was stepping back in horror, and Amon grabbed him, lightning fast. 

Stealing away his bending in a fraction of a second. 

“ I am the solution.” He answered after, bringing his hands down in a slow gesture that seemed familiar to Yuiko. 

Tarrlok flopped to the floor, and the Equalists around the room were freed. They stood and put their attention on her. 

Amon spoke evenly. 

“ Take your leave, Lieutenant.” 

Said man looked confused, then looked at Yuiko and the once bloodbender on the floor. 

“ But sir-“ 

“ the less bodies, the better.” 

“ and the avatar?” 

“ I have her Seneschal. I’m sure she won’t be hard to find.” 

Then it was just them. Alone again, save for the prone man’s body. 

He walked towards her, and she felt her heart race. 

He would take her bending no doubt. And it would destroy her, but it would take away this stain of a gift she had. 

His footsteps stopped before her, a hand reaching out to her. She closed her eyes and readied herself. It would be better this way. The world would be safer, despite the terrible personal blow. Amon had never hurt her personally, but now he would and she almost felt grateful for it. 

A soft familiar sound clicked and she snapped her eyes open. 

In his hand was a tangle of clay and wooden beads on thick thread. 

Airbender beads. 

“ You forgot these.” He muttered.

He offered them out more, and she took them quickly. Clutching them close. He crouched down, leveling himself with her. 

“ they’re very old aren’t they? I figured they belonged to a similarly old airbender, and it would be careless to leave such a thing behind if you were escaping.” His eyes were scanning over her face, hand reaching up slowly to touch her chin with the curl of his fingers. 

She winced a little, the scrape of the basement floor was still fresh, and it stung to have his hand there. 

So that’s how he’d figured out she was taken. 

A truck started outside, and rumbled away. 

She clutched the beads close and felt them dig into her palm, the man’s focus was entirely on her. Not in a calculating way, not as if he was anticipating her next move. Just watching her. 

Tarrlok, still able to speak even as his consciousness started to fade, Croaked out a single word.

“Noatak?”

Amons shoulders stiffened. 

Yuiko looked over at the councilman, she couldn’t tell if it was a name, or a phrase. It sounded watertribe either way. 

The equalist stood, and walked over to his body, he hefted up the unconscious ex-bloodbender. 

“ Stay put.” He ordered. Walking out into the whistling winds and doing spirits know what to the other man. 

On shaky feet, she lifted herself up and found her side ached, then took stock of the cabin. 

It was a dingy, run down thing. It had only one room besides the main one, and she shuffled into it. 

Tarrlok apparently didn’t use the cabin very often, but there were at least his clean prissy blankets and food rations. She’d need them, looking for Korra in what she could tell was the approaching storm. 

She grabbed a bag and stuffed it with warmer things, then used another to fill on food and supplies. The work to do so was sluggish, her body was exhausted, and she was running on fumes. 

After she collected what she needed, as fast as she could anyway, she turned quickly, ready to race into the cold.

Amon was waiting there in the main room. Hands at his side casually. 

“ You’re lucky I’m not making you take orders.” He drawled. Amused obviously.

Yuiko hardened her gaze and walked on, but every step she took he mirrored.

She didn’t look at him when they came nearly chest to chest, instead turning to push past him, which he didn’t allow. 

“ Let me pass.” She gritted through her teeth. 

“ So , he didn’t steal your voice.” He mused back. 

She huffed and moved to go around him, but he blocked the door. 

“Let me pass!” She snapped again, looking up at him finally. 

“You can bloodbend.” His voice was a knife in her side, accusing, and an answer all at once. 

“ Unless you intend to make it so I’m not, Move!” 

“ Move me then. You had no problem in doing so earlier.” 

Guilt hit her just as fast as she knew he could, she’d seen him strike and land blows before, and wondered if this was what it felt like. 

Very gently, he reached and caught her chin in his thumb and forefinger. Curling the rest to help support her head as he lifted her gaze to his again. “ You don’t seem very angry at me for doing so.” She bit back, despite letting him do so. 

“Surrounded by enemies and the one person I care for most in the world at stake? I would’ve done the same as you.” 

She was searching his eyes, looking for..something. She didn’t know what. It felt like an admission of something and if she didn’t know better she’d assume he meant ‘bloodbend another person’, which wasn’t the case..But that left for another interpretation. 

That he’d meant it as in he had someone in the world he cared for most, who he’d do anything for. 

Again. She was glad she knew better than to assume. 

“...Are you my enemy? You found me.” 

“ That doesn’t circumvent being an enemy.” He chided her, actually chided her, like she was naive.” However your value in this revolution can not be understated. The loss of your voice would’ve weakened things significantly.” 

Though how he meant it to sound was that she was only saved for the value she had as an ally, the softness here in his touch and voice was too strong to ignore, like the pull of the ocean in a storm. 

The undercurrent of which nearly left her breathless as she floundered for an alternative explanation. the reality of it, that he’d searched for her because the loss of her would have weakened  **_him_ ** significantly in a personal way almost made her weak at the knees. 

Here in this moment, something was changing. The tides were rising and she could either dive into their depths, or rush to shore and safety. 

They lingered a moment longer, a man confessing his concern and devotion to his greatest threat, and his greatest threat realizing she was more of a problem than she’d intended to be.

He guided her up, and she allowed it. She reached up to move his mask but paused. 

She had more important things to do, than to kiss a madman. 

He recognized it too, and released her. 

“ let’s go find your avatar.” He muttered softly. 

  
  


—-

The storm was whipping up as they set out, Amon had spotted the avatar leaving down a hill, and they had to take the long way to the base of the slope in the truck the other Equalists had left for their leader. Tarrlok was tied up in the back, blindfolded and gagged alongside his restraints. 

They could only go so far in the transport, the path Korra had torn went into the tree line. 

There was a strange gap between where they parked and the woods, like a road made of snow. 

Korra's path went over it though, and the places her feet had sunk revealed a shiny reflection underneath.  Yuiko walked into the storm, the wind nipped at her as she sent her gift out and searched for a heartbeat. She listened as Amon joined her, he was more sturdy against the wind than she was.  The Seneschal felt his heartbeat, Tarrloks, and just barely Korras. She followed the path the avatar had made across the road, and found her under a snow pile. She cried out in relief and dug her free of the snow.  Curiously, Amon had not followed her, he waited back, looking back and forth through the snowy terrain they were in. She was thankful for it, Korra might not be in the mood to be saved.

  
  
  


She carried Korra back half slung over her, But the added weight made something underfoot crack hard, 

**_“ It’s a river!”_ **

Yuiko found her foot plunged into black racing water. 

She made eye contact with him, the frozen river cracking and he stepped back reflexively.

His eyes were the same color as the snow.

They both looked up when a howl carried over the wind, and at first Yuiko thought it was avalanche barreling towards them. 

To her relief, it was Naga. 

“ Naga! Here girl!” She called, the polar bear dog woofed and bounded over, Yuiko bent the snow into more solid ice and made a path for the beast, but with one arm she could only do so much. The cost of strengthening the ice for Naga cost the integrity of the ice surrounding her. 

“ that’s it, good girl.” She called, watching her follow the new path on the ice slowly, Yuiko only had to lean forward.

The ice cracked more, and she pushed up Korra to the polar bear dog's jaw as she lost her footing with her one un-submerged foot and slipped. 

The water was freezing and she found herself unable to think as it got to her waist. “ Go! Go naga!” She commanded, the dog sprinting back to the safety of the bank as the rest of the ice cracked and swallowed her down. 

The current was wild and terrible, she couldn’t think. She couldn’t bend. 

A water bender drowning to death, what a hilarious way to go. 

She swam as much as she could, but her strength had already been drained. 

Her eyes adjusted to the gloom, and it wasn’t so bad. She could die here, and at least she’d have something to look at while her life faded. The river was deep, but the water was clear and even the ice capping it was beautiful. 

She would die here, and with her gone, there would be no more Bloodbenders. 

The legacy of madness and anguish would die under the ice of a river in the middle of nowhere. That legacy would die, saving someone rather than harming them. 

She welcomed the end of such a story. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More spice in the next couple of chapters I promise, we hit 200 hits! Let me know what you'd like me to do in celebration of that!!!


	8. Note from arty

Hey there party animals! This is your resident author Arty speaking. As we get ever closer to 400 hits on only then I figured I’d make a two part chapter thing where you guys ask any questions and I’ll answer them. I’m also doing this because I messed up my hand somehow, and it hurts to write for longer periods of time. (All’s fine I just need to rest it lol) 

Feel free to leave questions in the comments. And for those of you that already comment it brings me immeasurable joy to see any feedback on this fic, it really was hard deciding to actually post the first chapter because I was incredibly anxious , but I am THRILLED so many people like it. 

Oh did I mention! Yuiko has her own tumblr and Twitter, feel free to visit her   
@Seneschal-sea-whip(tumb)   
And @Seneschal-Hoshino (twit)

Also also also, Next chapter will be pure smut that has NOTHIN to with the plot. 

Thank you all! I love you and be safe! 

-Arty


	9. Can you Brave what you most  Fear?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had to push back the spicy chapter but here we are back at it again folks!

**Can you brave what You must Fear?**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ ‘’Your village cursed me in life ‘’the ghost said to the geisha, slinking through the white bark of the cursed wood. He brought his dripping ashen face to hers, smelling of dead leafs and cruel winter air. ‘’so I shall haunt them until I can feel something more than sorrow’’  _

_ -From, the Geisha and the Darkwood Ghost _

_ ‘’ You took my father!”’ the great dragon’s daughter cried. Her roar shook the earth so hard, she broke the ocean into bits, and made the stars fall from the sky. ‘’So I shall take your bloody, cruel heart!’’  _

  * _From, The Sea Serpent and the Fisherman._



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
  
  


Such a notable death had not gone without notice. 

Papers were flooded with the news, it was all anyone could talk about. 

The death of the last of the Hoshino direct family lineage was a devastating blow to the world, No one could match the genius born with such a remarkable name. 

People came out of the woodwork of course, claiming they were hoshinos and had a right to the fortune left behind. But they were distant, and none had been mentioned by name in a will or last testament. Only one name had been left for the inheritance. 

Thousands of ideas and plans went to the grave unfinished, the house by the lake became a crypt. And the world mourned such a beloved genius’s death. 

Yuiko had only been four when her father died. 

Family members who claimed to be part of the lucrative line one by one, rejected her. They claimed they had no space, no time, and no knowledge for any of her. Many claimed that because her father had not been married to whoever gave birth to her, that she may not even really be his biological child. And no bastard would they shelter. 

Thankfully, Sojiro was a clever man.

In the event his family rejected his only child, no one would be allowed a fraction of his mother and his own fortune. A treasure trove that could rival the queen of Ba sing se, culminated by Hiroto Hoshino the great architect of Republic city. She was a brilliant woman, and Yuiko had known her only through the journals her father kept. She’d been lost in an expedition to the spirit wilds, and had too left Sojiro much like he unfortunately left his own child. 

  
  


He also stated she would be enrolled in a academy for high society's finest in the event she was not accepted by her family, and she’d lived there until she’d been selected by avatar Aang during the trials to be the next Seneschal. She’d been great at making quick friends, but often she knew without her father's name attached to her, their parents would’ve dissuaded them from interacting with her. She was an odd child, raised by a curious man who was raised by an interesting and eccentric woman. 

Her world had become a slow encasement of ice. Her needing more than anything to be wanted.

So all she ever needed, was to win. 

Any challenge, any trial her tutors and the staff put her through at the academy she made sure to impress. Even if she failed, which she rarely allowed herself to do, she made sure she worked harder in whatever she could succeed in to make up for it. Often this effort went noticed, and it was what qualified her in the first place to the trial to be Seneschal. 

That victory had been bittersweet if she’d known what that meant back then. She’d won something no one else ever would. But it meant her life was tied forever to her service to the avatar. She’d been crafted to be a tool for the avatar since then. To be able to either part oceans with her waterbending, or to negotiate the mountains to bend to her voice. It had been taxing. 

But. It was a  _ victory _ . 

It was all she needed. 

To win and to be celebrated was to be  **wanted.**

And she would never allow herself to be unwanted again. 

She would make herself **_indispensable._ **

  
  


And here she was, sitting in his office again. 

It was a combination of his office on the  _ ‘Tidewriter’ _ and the office in the house by the lake. Half of the floor seemed sunken into the waves, the windows of the ship opened to the view of the lake. 

Gulls cried, and she found herself focusing on the back of her father. 

Sojiro Hoshino was not an old man, he’d barely been over forty when his illness had taken him. But his sickness had taken much of him for the few years it gave. In older pictures of him, he was built like a warrior in his prime. With strong arms and shoulders, but a softness to his face that implied he did not spend time fighting.

Not that he hadn’t, but he chose a life of adventure and creation as opposed to fighting and bloodshed. His hands were massive and perfect for battle, but she knew the calluses were from whittling and holding paint brushes. 

But this was no stoic portrait.

Because he was moving again, like he had once in life. A routine and familiar rhythm she knew by heart.

She looked around the room, the cubbies where he kept scrolls of fantastic knowledge and designs for buildings he’d worked on. He was a lot like her, in that he never believed his work was perfect, even though it was. 

However, she was unlike him, in that she was not very mathematical, he could guess the length and volume of something with astounding accuracy, and she always struggled with more complex formulas. 

They did however, share their artistic talent. They were always painting and bonding over ink and pigments. 

She recognized his working stance as he sat in his old rolling chair, he liked the challenge of balancing in it. 

Polar orcas crooned outside the room, and Yuiko stood to catch a glimpse of them. 

“ They were always your favorite.” Sojiro said, not looking up from what he was doing but his tone entirely warm. 

“ Where are we?” She asked, her voice soft, dazed. 

“ Where we’ve always been.” He gestured for her to come over, his hands stained with black and blue. 

Yuiko always found herself enthralled by her father's illustrations, his favorite of the arts they’d learned to do. While she was great with inks and definition, he was better with broad colors and dreamy landscapes. 

He’d been painting with inks, they were diluted and depicted a grey figure on a long white surface that sliced the page in half, the lower half was a deep black and red, like a healing scab, only a void of lighter red at the very bottom could be seen. 

“ Take a look at this one.” Her father said, reaching to his massive stack of papers and producing a few crinkly pages. 

One was of her, clearly, running on top of clouds. 

Another was of the rain, and her and Amon looking at each other on opposing sides, her head craned up and Amon's eyes black voids . 

“...You've seen all this?” She asked quietly. 

“ Only bits and pieces.” He replied. 

She felt a strange calmness, and sat back down. 

“ I’m sorry, I couldn’t do more with the time you left me.” 

Sojiro turned and smiled. “ Lucky for both of us, that you’ve never been one to lose.” 

He stood up, and ruffled her hair like she was a child. “ I have seen you, Yuiko. I only wish you didn’t have to fight so hard.” 

Distantly she heard something thump. Slow at first. Then again. It sounded like the world outside was cracking in two. 

Something crept around her body, and held her tight. Pain flared in her arm and she winced, holding it and watching as tethers of blood slipped out of her skin and solidified into cutting threads. 

She cried out and watched the tangle spread out, looking for something. 

Sojiro took her hand and smiled. 

“ What a gift you are my little minnow.” 

“ Baba what-“ she felt tears well in her eyes as the threads yanked and lashed out at something she needed, something she needed more than air itself. 

“ T _ his moment was a gift _ .” He assured her. Kissing her forehead and leaving little smudges of blue on her hands. 

——

The sky was dark and grey, and she had the distinct feeling of strong hands on her chest, and the chill of ice against her back.

The next sensation she felt was her nose being pinched, and lips against her own. Blowing air into her lungs. They had warm and strong lips. 

She convulsed and felt the water rush from her lungs like someone had pulled it from where it rested. 

The next thing she remembered, was Amon hunched over her. 

His eyes blended in with the sky. 

She found her consciousness swimming, but more brief sensations broke through the gloom. 

A truck starting.

Naga’s warm fur tickling her nose.

Hands holding her face. 

Her hand felt as if it was burning. 

Then she was awake. Laying on top of a warm body with blankets she’d stolen covering her. 

  
  


Amons eyes were washed out by the dim fire light and his mask’s angle. It made him look inhuman. It was comforting to be reminded she wasn’t the only monster lurking in the dark here. But it worried her, seeing all his focus on her. He was watching her like he was looking at an unfinished game of chess. Not Pai sho, he didn’t seem calm enough for that. 

It also worried her she’d been essentially snuggling with him, and how much she did not want to pull away from that warmth. It also  _ astonished  _ her that he had his chest bared to her, she was dressed down as much as was comfortable for them both. But it was still less than she was prepared to be. 

She could feel every twitch of his muscles, not just because she was laying against him, but because she had always had the acute sense of another person since she’d discovered her Bloodbending. It wasn’t a simple on and off process, nor was it a default. It was like...learning a particular melody and then tapping your foot to it when you weren’t paying attention. It was like being aware of the heat of a fire without facing it. 

  
  


Yuiko sat up, her muscles ached. Her fingertips felt the worst, they felt raw and frigid. 

She looked at him, he hadn’t moved but she could sense his want to. His hand moved first, touching the small of her back and keeping her still and steady. Her hair however was undone, it was still damp but thanks to the warming fire and unbinding of it the waves were drying. 

She was watching him too, the way his breathing was forced to be steady. Like he was forcing himself not to hold his breath. 

“ Careful, The river almost froze you.” His voice was a soft growl, and the first word caught in his throat. Like he was rushing to get the words right. 

She examined her hands, then panicked. One of them was wrapped up with clean bandages and was cold as the ice. She sat up, tore off the bandages, Amon watching her, hesitating and his shoulders tense. 

The sensation raced up her when she saw that along the joints of her right hand in bright bloody red. Raw and stinging still. 

“ What-“

“ Your bloodbending should heal that. It’s much better than it was a hour ago I assure you.” 

She looked for water and summoned it from a snow pile in the cave towards her. Carefully she wrapped it around her hand and started to heal it faster. 

The water was pink when she sent it away. 

She couldn’t stop the trembling of her hands as she realized now she had some mark of her true ability displayed for everyone to see. Something she read many years ago came back, that Bloodbending cursed the users and always left its mark. 

Now it had, she was sure it had because it made the most sense in its own way. She’d probably forgotten the fight against the currents, but any act of self-preservation would’ve been desperate. 

She would’ve used her Bloodbending to survive, wouldn’t she? 

The equalist quietly slipped her air bender beads into her other hand. 

Then Amon did something that surprised her more than him, saving something of sentimental value to her. More astonishing than him fighting ice and a river to get her back. 

He reached up and affectionately moved her hair from her face. The curl of his fingers touching her cheek lightly in a way that told her a million things, but produced her a billion questions. 

Then she told him too much, because she closed her eyes and drank in that touch. 

She blamed the terrible events of the last half day on her softness. Of her turning a blind eye to what he was, and focusing on what he was doing for her now. 

“ Is Korra ok?” She asked after a moment. 

“ Yes.” He lifted his chin, and a delighted crinkle came to his eyes. “ Not that you asked, but the councilman is alright.” Not that he was particularly important to Yuiko anyway. But it did help her give into softness knowing he’d spared someone out of respect for what she might want. It also made her smile a bit, his snark familiar and almost welcomed. She’d slipped off of him, sitting on her own but next to him. He’d come closer, not to crowd her, but to keep his hand against her skin.

They kept their stances, she could feel his pulse thrumming through his touch. It was irresistible and she let herself listen to him longer than she should’ve. 

“ What will you give, in exchange for your avatars safety?” He asked, a bit suddenly. 

Yuiko looked up at him, surprised. 

Considering they had seemed to be at a truce, it was unexpected. His expression was impossible to read. 

“...I wasn’t aware she was in danger again so soon.” She replied. She needed to pull, while he pushed. 

“ Oh? Haven’t you heard? Apparently there’s a bloodbender in this cave.” 

She narrowed her eyes at him. 

“ Well there was, if I recall  _ you _ took his bending.” She struck back, not wanting to talk at all about what he’d witnessed. 

What she was. 

“...How Long, have you known?” He asked, his voice was...sorrowful. Like he pitied her. He was watching her like he had in the cold surf. Like he was fighting the urge to pluck her out of the water, and waiting to see if she’d try to save herself. 

“ That Tarrlok was an absolute bastard? As long as I’ve known him.” 

“That isn’t what I meant.” 

She moved a bit to sit next to him against the rock he’d been using to prop himself up against. He put a blanket over her shoulders as she started. Her marked hand now curled in her lap. If she wasn’t recounting the most terrible moment of her life, she might’ve dwelled on how gentle a gesture it was. Or how it juxtaposed the line of questioning he had. 

“....I chased an Otter-penguin cub into a storage room at the white lotus compound. I wasn’t trying to hurt it. It just..was fun, it was something you just did as a child. Then, it knocked over some boxes and I was so afraid it would get crushed, it would’ve been fine, there wasn’t even anything in them.” Her voice was tense now, and she wanted to speed through the story like a sylph through a storm. 

“ And I just...” she opened her hands and closed them quickly. 

“ was it a full moon?” He asked, he’d moved closer, but kept his hands to himself. Shoulder to shoulder. 

“ I assume so. But, I can bend without it.” 

“ Practice?” 

“ There is always a moon in the sky” she used her marked hand to gesture at the air, up at the unseen celestial body that both damned and comforted her. 

This was the game she supposed, a simple interrogation of her. If she was honest? If she could sit next to a bloodbender and ask them questions about their ability well, she’d ask. 

“ I assume that you’ve been told never to use it, even if it would mean no one would think about harming the avatar?” 

She nodded and looked at him, she hated feeling so raw and open to him like this. 

“ Bloodbending opens the mind to madness. All past users have it to some degree. Hama, Poor thing thought what she was doing was justice. Tarrlok, I’m not certain of. Yakone was just a fool driven into madness enough he thought he could kill the avatar.” 

His eyes changed then, like she’d struck a nerve. 

“ You know of Yakone...?” He asked his voice like a quick lash echoing at her.

She gave him a puzzled look. 

Everyone in republic city knew of Yakone. Endings of his story varied from person to person but one truth was constant.

Yakone was the second most powerful bloodbender the world had ever seen. And perhaps the cruelest in that his bending hadn’t been directed for revenge, he hurt others because he liked it. 

“ Well Psychic bloodbending isn’t exactly a common trait. I studied the case files on him, the research done into his victims after the fact. “

“ And Tarrlok is his son, yet you faced him nonetheless?” 

She knitted her brow. 

“ I am the daughter of a non bending mapmaker, I don’t practice judging my enemies on their parents.” 

An idea did come to her. A theory.

“ Though, I do find myself saddened by the idea of Tarrlok's childhood. Bloodbending isn’t...typical. It is forcing the unnatural onto the natural, and I can’t imagine what being raised by someone with that sort of madness in their head could’ve been like.” 

Amons voice was edged still, and his eyes flitted back to the fire.

“ What do you imagine?” 

“...I imagine his father was not kind. Not with the way he treated others less powerful than himself, and since Tarrlok was a waterbender, I imagine he was taught at a very early age what I know.” She felt the need to hide as she kept going. She pulled her knees to her chest. “ No matter how it’s taught, Bloodbending is...It breaks parts of you.” She felt stupid for telling him such a thing. But Bloodbending had broken her in pieces that no one could put back in place. And she had the luxury of being able to ignore the ability. 

“I wish I had known.” 

“ because you pity him?” 

“ I do. If anyone deserves pity it’s a Bloodbender. Sooner or later, they all are lost to madness.” She looked at her own hand, her palms and could almost see the strings she would use to puppeteer others. 

Then Amon did another strange thing. 

He brought her in closer, and slipped his hand into hers. 

“ You worry about yourself too,Don’t deny it. You worry Bloodbending will destroy you.” 

His hands were a narrow but strong set. with strong fingers like he might catch and pull the tide with them if only he could. There was no obvious way for telling if someone was a bender or from a particular region of the world. And Yuiko had not been raised among waterbenders like herself, but..

His hands were very water tribes for someone who said they weren’t from said place. He’d been born on a farm hadn’t he? 

She laced her fingers with his. 

It held just Such a normal warmth that she was a bit startled by it. 

His hands were not marked at all by what he could do or had done, but she still felt as if they were.

But She wasn’t afraid of that. She wasn’t afraid of losing her mind, maybe that would be for the best anyway. Maybe then the guilt of being born wouldn’t weigh on her shoulders.

Softly she asked him.

“ Are you afraid it will?” 

His shoulders squared and his grip tightened.

And she smiled a bit.

“ You’re afraid. But you mustn’t be.” She felt calm in this moment, of him knowing her like this, and her finally feeling like she knew him. Yuiko had uncovered something incredible and she hadn’t been trying to. 

She uncovered that he was hiding from her something more dangerous than her hiding the truth of her bending. 

He wasn’t playing a game like she thought. He’d been sincere. And that was a dangerous thing to be in revolution. 

She cupped his face and made him look at her.

His eyes held something that she couldn’t name right away. But it was bright and skittish. He tilted his head, like he was about to say something. 

“ Lift your mask.” She asked of him again. 

He did so, it was dark in the cave but she still adored the outline of his chin and lips.

It was almost unbearably endearing to see his face in nearly full display. That he trusted her enough to show her, and that she had somehow earned that trust despite everything. 

There was no true equal to his gesture, none that she could do that he wasn’t already aware of. 

She did touch him with her marked hand however. To remind him they both were stained. 

“ Terrible isn’t it?” He asked, looking away and she saw the flash of disgust cross his features in a pleasing dance. No wonder he hid behind his mask, otherwise he’d constantly give away his true intentions. Even in the low light, he was like a glorious and exquisite map. 

“ People used to say, I looked like my father.’’ his voice was thick with self loathing, of a blame that was familiar to her. He too, was haunted by the loss of his father.

‘’ I Didn’t know your father, but I think you are more handsome, brillant, and  _ wonderful _ than any man has ever been.’’

They both stopped suddenly. Frozen by the admission. 

But it was undeniably true. 

She thought he was terrible and wonderful, he was handsome and brilliant, maddening and calming as if he was a being  _ made _ of contradictions. 

There was a stillness to them now. 

She lent in closer, and he sat up straighter. 

Their noses bumped softly and she couldn’t stop the smile the little clumsy gesture brought. He smiled too, and her heart melted. Despite the scars that she knew laced his face like the currents under the waves, it did little to take away his hidden brilliance. 

“ When I go mad, I will still feel the same way about you that you feel about me.” 

“ Is that what you think I’m afraid of?” He asked in a rush, tangling his fingers in her hair. 

“ Yes, why else would you wait so long to say something about it?’’

She said back, touching over his chest and finding his heartbeat. It was wild and powerful like he held the entire ocean there in his chest. 

“ There are not enough books, Not enough stories or paintings or dreams in ink to measure how I feel about you, My Beloved Seneschal.” 

They were at the edge of the board. 

Either move would reset the game entirely, any gambit would change their fight and it was terrifying. 

But his eyes were on her. Pleading and guarded. 

He reached up, and gently caught her chin in his thumb and forefinger again like he had a billion times before.

“ I _ t was your eyes _ .” He whispered. 

It shook her to her core to realize the gesture the entire time was not one of power, but of longing. He wanted her to look at him. He wanted her to see him and acknowledge him.

**_He needed her._ **

She felt her heart soar. And she closed the space between them. 

It felt treacherous to do so, to give herself so completely to someone who had the power to destroy her and all she loved in one swift action. 

But she couldn’t stop it. 

No more than she could stop a Maelstrom. 

No more than she could stop the day bleeding into night. 

And he couldn’t either.

He lent in and they let their mouths meet in tandem. 

  
  


His mouth was strong, and unlike the time he made her kiss him, it was pliant and pleading. Not commanding. She felt herself sigh and longing race up her body. 

It was unlike the time in the carriage, it was welcoming and needed. 

She could smell the barest hint of his soap again. 

‘’Is that truly how you feel? ‘’ His voice was edged with a thick and delightful rasp, and his hands again were clutching onto her skirts like that night in her room. She didn’t even realize she was in his lap again.

He needed her words, he needed reassurance.

He needed her and it thrilled her beyond measure.

She kept kissing him, holding his face in her hands and answered him after a moment. Breathless and heart pounding like a war drum. 

“ I fear you, and it thrills me beyond belief.’’ 

“ They say that falling as we are, is very much like fear itself. No wonder I don't want feel so vulnerable around you.’’

The actual saying was _ ‘the feeling of falling in love is very much like the feeling of fear’ _ , and she knew he was omitting one particular word because of the power it held. How by saying it, he would admit to how powerless he really was to her. 

They were equal in that censorship. 

She managed a laugh, and cupped the back of his neck. His hand lifted to cup the back of her neck, a motion not unlike how he took bending. 

His hand was warm still. 

She must be completely cursed, to feel so at ease with those hands on her. 

“ What do you want of me then?” She asked softly. 

He sighed and kissed her again before answering.

“ Everything from you. I want to know how you wake in the morning, how your laugh sounds when it isn’t forced. I want to know how you like your tea. I want to know  _ if you even like tea _ at all. I want to watch you defeat any fool that dares to challenge you.’’ He kissed again, this time it drew a soft melody from them both.’’ I want you to fear me, because it is the only time your eyes light up like a summer sky.” One hand trailed down her back in a slow path, like a lazy koi finding its way to a sunny spot in a pond. His other stayed buried in her skirt. 

She felt her heart churn and swell and she felt him move aside his mask to press his forehead against hers. He kept her hips from moving away not in a heated sense. There wasn’t any of that  _ yet _ . 

“ What would you want from me, Seneschal?” He asked in a tentative tone.

What did she want?

It never occurred to her, but she didn’t think anyone had ever asked her what she seriously wanted. 

No one had ever considered she wanted more than to be a glorified babysitter. 

“ I would...I want.” 

The question stumped her completely.

He kissed her mouth softly, not to silence her, but to encourage. “ Come now, I’m sure you have a long list of things you’d like, _ Sea Whip _ .” There was a glint in his eye, and she found her cheeks flushing. Even though she was sitting in his lap, kissing him and unabashedly admitting so much to the other, him thinking of her as a mythical creature of beauty and power and verbalizing it? 

Her heart was thrumming like a violin warming.

She considered very carefully, and kissed him long. Heated and she closed her eyes fully.

“ Right now? I want to spend tonight paying you back for that carriage incident.” 

He snorted and pulled her down closer. This time the gesture was intentionally heated when their hips connected. It might not be her first choice in a place to battle like this, but it was fitting considering they were both monsters. 

Monsters who’d  **_devour_ ** one another here in this darkness. 

“ I don’t want to win.” She admitted after a moment, her voice catching. 

He paused and looked at her confused.

“ You Don’t want to win?”

She nodded.

“ This will end, Amon. This will end with one of us winning. “ the words started to tumble from her like an avalanche and she let them bury her. 

“ I can’t lose. But I don’t want to win.” She repeated. 

His eyes softened with understanding. His hands moving to cup her face again. 

“ Dream with me for a bit then. What if...We weren’t fighting? And you could have anything you wanted of me.” 

The answer was easy. 

“ I would want only that. I would want your hands on me, tangled in mine.”

He kissed her softly. And murmured “ Then let me give you that much. For a night and a morning. If you can ignore laying with a monster for that long.” 

For a night and a morning. 

So much time, yet not enough. 

“ I would love that.” She murmured.


	10. No one would listen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amon reflects on his life and the death of someone close to him.

_** What happened to Noatak?  ** _

Noatak had died in that blizzard. That is what happened to him.

He died a cold, angry little boy. Barely a man, yet still not a child. Just a boy who hated the world, and could feel nothing besides that and the cold. 

His ghost haunted the world still. That is what happened to Noatak. 

His ghost, thirsty for vengeance, starving for justice, took anything it could lay its hands on as either. 

Noataks ghost knew the boy it came from liked to paint. Knew his small hands could spend hours carving or creating small worlds. 

So his ghost often lingered around beautiful things. 

His ghost felt so undeserving of pretty things. 

There were _many_ things however, it didfeel deserving of. 

Many things he knew were his by right of being Alive alone. Of surviving a blizzard that had killed a little boy so easily. 

Being cursed with Blood bending was one of those things. 

He deserved it, for being so cruel to his brother. He deserved that power, to use against other benders who would use their own bending for worse things.

He’d felt the way his fathers energy was different, and it had been the basis of his ability to remove ones connection to bending. 

It had been the spark that warmed the phantom, lingering in snow. If He could have warmth, he could have revenge. He could have justice. 

The others in the equalist faction called it ‘the hand of death’, a striking and almost fantastical name. Their reasoning being, When he’d questioned the lieutenant about it; was 

**_ ‘What bender would want to stay alive after that anyways ?’  _ **

Because as Non-Benders, they were stronger willed. Stronger because they didn’t need bending to live or to motivate their will to do so. 

He didn’t like the name, but found a irony in it. That his hands that could heal, often resulted in the polar opposite. 

He’d often imagined how this would all end. There are two more likely possibilities that he entertains. 

One, he would succeed. He would take the bending from every bender who dared to raise a hand to the giftless. He would change so much that he might even become legend himself. That no bender, not even the avatar, would dare challenge. Maybe even he’d die a martyr for the cause, and the world would be better off. 

Or, he would fail. 

He imagined a few times how that would happen. Betrayal, accidental sudden death. 

The exposure of his bending. 

But he never thought that one person in particular could be part of both of those imaginings so vividly. 

Yuiko had been within his circle of concern since her debut appearance ages ago at the annual lunar peace festival, although recent festival cycles hadn’t included any Hoshino family members since her grandmothers time, her name alone had earned her a personal float. But, her skill level and current Title of Seneschal earned her a buzzing audience, waiting to see who had been chosen to train the avatar. 

He had not known she was a Bloodbender, there were only two bloodbenders in the entire world and his brother was a councilman, one who was on his list. 

But still, he’d watched her on that float as if he cared about some prestigious water bending airhead. Not knowing she carried the same burden he did. 

It had been easy enough to be in the crowd, his equalists knew his face was scarred and the public had hardly heard of the revolution seven years ago. So appearing as a normal man among the crowd of benders fawning over the parade was as good as a disguise as any. 

The glimmer of her eyes shouldve tipped him off. it was too much of a coincidence for her eyes to meet his in that crowd during her debut, she had been bending giant curls of water into solid ice and following the music of the accompanying parade band. She’d just spun on the tip of one foot, the water following her fingers like transparent ribbons. 

It had felt like the entire universe had been muted when her eyes met his that night. Their sharp focus so intense he froze on the spot. Thinking he’d done something in a crowd of thousands to offend her. Which even if he had, why would he have cared? 

Her swirls of frozen brilliance had shrouded half her face in a icy light, like she was just under the surface of a lake. 

Something about the way she smiled, keyed him in on that she was not just some ‘water tribe airhead.’  
He didn’t know what it was exactly. All he knew was that she was extraordinary. 

—-

He’d accounted for facing off against her eventually, she was the avatars Seneschal after all. No doubt If he got close to Korra, he’d need to face the wrath of her bodyguard first. 

He had not seen through the facade of her public persona however. Even his lieutenant was sure that Yuiko would be a non-problem. 

“ She’s a pampered water tribe pet.” He’d muttered looking over the wall of potential targets and threats that all fanned from Korra. The plan was of course to take out big name criminals first. He knew there were other gangs and worse offenders, but the triple threat triad was personal. And if he didn’t allow himself some personal revenge, well. He’d be blind to his own faults and humanity. 

How blind he really was, for not considering the Seneschal a higher threat.

The criminals first then. Once the city saw they could handle something the police could not, public opinion would be less of a roar for support of the council, and more of a disordant murmur. One he intended to flame into a _firestorm_ , once he took down the pathetic pro-bending champions. Once he revealed the corruption even in the most inane and unimportant impact wise on the world, they would see. 

What a fool he was for thinking his plans would flow smoothly in the path he’d set. He’d forgotten the most important thing about bending, that as strong as one may be, the tide can always unpredictable.

Korra being in the Pro-bending championship wasn’t the worst of outcomes. Her challenge to him had been odd but, considering her spitfire personality he didn’t think much of it. 

The unpredictable part came, when he found his recruits lifting their unconscious brothers and sisters off the ground, with The Seneschal to the avatar unconscious with a electric Bola around her waist. The others had scattered of course at his order. But he had lingered. He knew who she was.

But what was she really? That had been the question he never should of let himself investigate. 

But he did anyway. 

The human part of him, the part deep down inside buried under snow and pain, wanted to unwrap her and lay her so she’d be more comfortable. 

_ “You cannot stand seeing pain.”  _

She was right. He couldn’t.

Even there, before he knew who or what she really was. She brought out the humanity in him.

He’d checked the Bola, it was fried of course. A method Hiroshi implemented to hide his involvement in the revolution until the time was right. 

Her heartbeat had been his first indication something about her was not common. 

He’d let his fingers hover over her stomach, he could feel the blood just below her skin racing about and trying to heal her body in the way all blood and flesh does. But it felt odd how strong it was, how unyielding and how clouded her energy flowed through her body. Like a plume of ash from a volcano rushing down a cliff face. 

He’d let his hand move a steady path above her body, and he’d let his stupid humanity catch her chin in his palm. 

In the dark, he couldn’t see much of her. Which meant she would not be able to see much of him. 

Maybe that’s why he’d coaxed her mind back a bit, made her flutter her eyes and catch a glimpse at him. Or maybe she’d done it herself, she was a Bloodbender even if he hadn’t known it yet, her recovery time would be half that of anyone else. 

Regardless, he did not know why he needed to see her eyes open. Only that he was going to make her open them regardless. 

Her violet eyes caught the silver of the moon, and though they were unfocused, he felt as if they saw too much of him. He’d felt the edge of his mask out of reflex, his paranoia always let him vividly imagine what someone would react like to seeing his true face. And that glimmer of lavender and starlight almost matched it perfectly. 

When she’d slipped back into unconsciousness, he’d slowly set her head down, took in the sight of the powerful Seneschal of the avatar and reveled in the face she’d been brought down by something so common to him and his followers. 

That’s why he’d looked at her, why he’d taken the time to even touch her and not take her bending. 

That’s what he would say, if anyone had seen or asked. 

——

No one needed to ask why he was looking, when she’d cut a path across the sky. 

He’d always imagined a dragon more as a beast than a woman, but these were strange times. 

When those eyes the color of bruising fury had looked up at him again, he’d felt something odd.

He was human, he knew that. He had to imagine himself flawed and imperfect, otherwise he’d fall to his own hubris. 

And by some ancient and terrible curse cast onto humans by spirits, he knew she was absolutely beautiful, and his revolution took a moment to be silent when she looked at him. His desire for vengeance and justice, still there, but less cruel, for a moment. 

So, perhaps to indulge that human side, to remind him it was still there and it could be his downfall, he’d made her look at him. With anyone else the act of grabbing them by their face to force them to see him was a threat, a reminder they were completely powerless to him. 

But with her, it was wholly self indulgent. He wanted to see those eyes not focus on him by some coincidence, he wanted them to see him because he commanded it so. 

Skies above were her eyes so blindingly beautiful. 

His attraction had only grown when she’d tried to outsmart him, which she might’ve had he allowed himself to adore her. Of course he’d kept himself in check, and had won their first little game. 

The lieutenant knew he had a sense of humor at least, and the money he’d won from their little gamble went straight to a bottle of plum wine. Even though he could feasible ask and it be delivered right away, Amon didn’t mind sneaking about and buying himself things. The sastisfaction of spending coin and the scrape of it sliding against the wood of a vendors booth was one he seldom took for granted. 

He hadn’t meant to actually cook for her, it had just sort of..happened. As a Waterbender his mother said sometimes that they flow from one task to the next without realizing they’re doing it until there’s nothing left to do. It was why they were so talented in weaving and art when given the chance, and not at all because of ones own talent. 

He sometimes missed that perspective and his belief in it. That it was only bending that drove someone’s actions, but the truth was that it was responsible for those actions. Be them helpful. Or harmful.

Yuiko was extremely talented be it from her own cultivation of her skills or some other nonsense, she was incredible in navigating the path he’d set. The broadcasts were of course, a sloppy and poor excuse for a exchange. 

But he’d been able to keep up with her; and she had done the same. 

And then the rally. 

He knew she was smart enough to sit back and watch, to not engage with him and he knew she’d be cross after the fact.

Which is why it completely blew apart his perception of her. 

But it gave him something valuable too, that Yuiko hoshino was not purely logical, and he could exploit that. 

It had been a test to see how much he could get away with when dangling a threat over her. That’s what he told himself anyways, by starting that little game. 

The rush of hearing her call him ‘Master’ was enough to leave him awake for days. Skies he could remember the way her mouth moved when she said each syllable he’d been so fascinated. 

Then like the damn flawed human he was, he made her kiss him. 

He shouldn’t have. He knew it the moment he said it. He shouldn’t have even tried to tease her with it, he wanted her confidence in him so he could play bigger games, get greater rewards later. He should not have made her kiss him. 

He shut himself out of feeling during the sparse, sacred moment. He would not allow himself to really feel her against him. The way she fit perfectly, the softness of her skin or the press of her breast’s against his chest. The way he could feel her heartbeat pound or worse, the feeling of her mouth against his. It was almost like a bite with the strength behind it. He hadn’t realized he’d moved his hands down her body until she gasped against his lips. 

Skies above, was he in trouble. 

—

Bloodbending was of course, something of a corruption and a addiction. It was easy to conceal and devastating to admit to, and unrelenting once you’d allowed yourself the slightest taste. 

He wouldn’t call a person a addiction per say, it was dehumanizing and spirits knew he had enough of that. 

But the mention that his brother had found yuiko the same way Amon had not allowed himself to divulge in triggered something in him as if she was some substance to be devoured for a rush. 

He wasn’t a animal, but it felt wholly territorial that before he could allow her to be near his brother again, he needed to have something of her no one had. He’d used his bloodbending to feel the whole of her body change at his command. he couldn’t even excuse the whole thing as a power play. She held all the power, all she needed to do was say no; and she would know too much. That he didn’t see her as another bender to bide his time with, that he saw her as a person and respected her as such. 

Her pulse was addictive in its wildness, his hand ached sometimes, longing to feel her heaving breaths and sharp gasps under it. 

He wished he’d kissed her more. Often when he recounted there were many things he wished he used his mouth better for. 

When he’d thought back on the dinner, he’d noticed how much she seemed inclined to touch him. How he’d let her, and how it never felt like she was crossing a line or him bowing to her will because she held the power in that moment.

It felt...normal. Almost. Like she knew him more as Amon the man, than Amon the revolutionary. 

Her absence had broken through that ice and snow, she had broken through it with her hands and reached hard ground that was his last defense. And she’d brushed it with the tips of her pretty little fingers, and melted him.

—-

There were no particular words he could find that described his drive in finding her. 

He’d nearly beat Tarrlok to death for finding her tied up in a cold, dirty basement. 

While it sparked something in him to see her tied up, it wasn’t wholly lustful. There was a sick jealousy to it, that someone would dare to touch her and force her like this. It felt disgusting, considering they were enemies and she was perfectly capable of protecting herself. 

Of course then, he’d thought she was facing a monster worse than him. So the sick need to protect her had been more justified. 

Then it turned out, she was a monster like him. And he was not alone. 

It was so thrilling, to know that. To know he was not alone. That he was not the only blood bender with a righteous cause, who was hiding themselves. That there was someone else out there, who would walk through the door of madness, to save someone they loved. 

The way her eyes reflected that resolve was terrifying. 

She was so much more powerful than he’d anticipated, sloppy and skittish and amateur. But Skies above was she powerful. 

That worried him as much as it enchanted him.

Power like that corrupted. He had read what little information there was on Hama when he was younger, when he’d found a place in the city. He’d stolen the book and read it on a dirty rooftop, the history of unusual bending talents was thinner than he’d hoped, but it was something. All he clearly remembered was the list of known bloodbenders, including master katara, and the caution that Forcing the body to do the unnatural, to go against the strongest force, to go against willpower and nature, exacted a heavy price. The passages on the first bloodbender unnerved him. 

Hama’s mental state was fractured by the end of her life, she’d claimed to the guards kept on her watch that she could feel their wants and needs, their connections to each other. She claimed she could feel ‘others’ and it worried Amon what she had meant by that. 

But there in that hovel, with Tarrlok’s bending making the Seneschal twist and scream, he’d realized what she meant. 

He could feel his brothers intentions, he could sense their connection like a thick rope connecting a boat to a dock. He could see him delighting in the power he had now and his satisfaction at being in control.

He needed to save his brother, and worry about Yuiko later. 

So he did.

And when Tarrloks body hit the floor, saved and stunned the last thing he needed was for him to call him by his name. 

“ Noatak is dead.” He’d hissed at Tarrlok as he shoved him into the back of a Van. 

He could feel Yuiko from outside the cabin. He could sense her heartbeat, the use of his ablity making it raw and sensitive to everything living within a mile of where he was standing. 

He’d stopped, and collected himself for a moment. No doubt she too was feeling raw and erratic, maybe she could feel him standing there. 

As stupid as it was. He wondered if she had missed him. 

when Amon faced the Seneschal again, when she’d looked at him again, when he touched her again. He knew there was no chance of being saved from her. When he’d made the stupid choice to lift her head and hope that she looked at him, and seeing those violet eyes pick him. Amon knew Yuiko could never be far from him again like that. But for now He would not command her, he would not jerk her attention to himself. All of his world was quiet again. His madness felt secondary, to what his needs were. She should be angry with him, terrified even of what he was and could do even if she couldn’t tell the extent of that. 

And yet, she still looked at him. Not at what he was or what he could do, but at him. 

Soft lavender eyes looked at _him_. 

He knew everything in his power would not be enough to stop or save her. 

But he would be damned if he didn’t try. He owed her that. To try. 

He lied then, and simply tried to say that her value in his revolution was his reasoning for saving her. 

He was fantastic at lying, but he could not for the life of him deceive her.

She knew that, she was smart enough to know that. 

And she lent up anyway. 

The need to kiss her had been damn near unbearable. He needed her like he needed his mask, he needed her so badhe was willing to rip it off and let her see him, smudged fake scar and all, just for a moment of pressing his mouth to hers to see what it felt like. Just a moment to kiss someone who shared this terrible connection with him. 

What a terrible bridge to find himself hesitating on.

If he kissed her there’d be no going back. Things already were so different than they were a month ago after that rally. And he conveniently tried to ignore her advances that night in her room and on the rooftop. Even though the sight of her bare thighs sent his mind down a path more slippery than black ice. 

The hesitant way she lent forward told him enough, she wasn’t ready to cross that line yet, and neither was he. It would mean admitting how human he was. How weak his resolve could be, and how even though he wore a mask, how someone saw him so easily. 

—-

He’d been scared before. Scared to fail his father, frightened at being alone for the first time when he escaped him. 

And he was afraid again, when Yuiko Plunged under the ice. 

The only witnesses were the snow and the polar bear dog, so he used his bending to fight that river that swallowed her up. 

He would fight that damn force of nature with everything he had.

He used his bloodbending, he allowed himself to ignore keeping the door closed, and focused all his energy into saving her. 

“ You will open your eyes. You will look at me and you will be reminded everyday for the rest of our lives how I saved you here.” He’d commanded her, as he brought water out of her lungs and kept her heartbeat steady. 

He dried her clothes, and then kept her tucked next to him as he drove them all to the cave.

Her body tempature was still low, too low for comfort and he didn’t know how exactly to heal that. Well, he did, just not with his bending. He’d piled blankets on her while he started a fire, then quickly unbuttoned his clothing, ripping off his undervest and getting himself as bare chested as possible. He’d done the same to her, and the agony of waiting for her to wake was intense enough to drive him to madness. 

He rubbed a soothing circle over her back, alternating between watching her, and watching the flames. His mind was...quiet. Revolution far from his mind, but he did think he shouldn’t be so near someone right now. He felt raw again, and could feel her weak pulse slowly coming back to its strange strength. He could feel her body healing her hand, and slowly, that intensity of his gift faded.

When she woke and their game started again, he felt more naked than he currently was.

She was always so, so right. 

Bloodbending had broken him in a way that left him unable to be kind to not just others, but himself. It had stolen away his belief that good things happened if you were good.

And then she appeared, and he felt like the impossible had returned to being within his grasp. 

Which was stupid, a person could not fix another with just a pretty set of eyes and a gentle voice. Whatever he felt was not the answer. If anything, it was a question. 

Why feel the way he did, about anyone? What good had caring for others gotten him? He had cared what his father thought. He had cared about Tarrlok, he had cared about his mother. 

And if those people could fail him, what faith did he have in a stranger?

And yet, consistently, she was the right choice. She made choices that were reckless. And paid off, she made choices that were always the ones he’d hoped for and had worked out alright in the end. He put the smallest flicker of faith into her, and she’d exploded it into a brilliant comet streaking across the summer sky. 

But more than anything, more than her being beautiful, her being clever and quick, she was...

...She was a Horrendously beautiful contradiction. 

How could someone with bending, with his terrible burden, be so faithful and feel...right. How could someone who knew the taste of Bloodbending, have so much compassion? She was not all good, she had a stubbornness, a wavering to her. But she was so much better than he though any bender could be. 

He would devour that light. He would soak it up and exhaust that vessel it was in until he too was ravaged. 

He deserved that much. He thought. 


End file.
